Who Owned Georgia English.pdf

stories. Shalva Ramishvili and Davit Kokhreidze established TV202 in 2003, which broadcast on the TV-33 frequency. Ramishvili,who had produced the animated parody Dardubala on Rustavi 2,also supported Mikheil Saakashvili until becoming disillusionedwith the movement. Broadcast only in Tbilisi, the station airedunlicensed Hollywood films, low budget comedy shows, rerunsof Dardubala and a political talk-show “Debates,” which provedpopular for its heated discussions on corruption in the mediaand within the ruling party. TV 202 also aired two packages by“Reporter,” a Soros funded independent investigative journalismmedia organization. One story cast doubts about the officialversion of the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, whoreportedly asphyxiated from a gas leak in a private apartment.The other story questioned facts regarding the arrest of MarekDudaev, who authorities described as a South Ossetian warlordand criminal kingpin.TV 202’s demise occurred on August 27, 2005 when Ramishviliand Kokhreidze were arrested for extortion. Ruling party MP,Koba Bekauri, claimed Ramishvili had been blackmailing himfor three months. In exchange for $100,000, TV 202 would notair footage that implicated Bekauri’s involvement with illegalactivities at the Opiza customs terminal. 38 Utilizing a 60 Minutestactic, Bekauri filmed the transaction with a hidden camera.Ramishvili maintained he had been setting Bekauri up for his owninvestigation, but the courts, with a 99.7% conviction rate, sidedwith Bekauri and sentenced Ramishvili to 4 years imprisonmentand Kokhreidze to 3.The owner of the TV33 frequency, Vazha Kiladze, sold hisshare to Hans von Sachsen-Altenburg, who was planning to start38 Media.ge Detained Shalva Ramishvili is in the Center of Media AttentionAugust 29, 2005 http://www.media.ge/en/node/12346 Accessed on 05/12/201215