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Imedi Media Holding ((グルジア語:იმედი მედია ჰოლდინგი)) is a private television and Radio Company in Georgia. The stations were founded by the Georgian media tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili. Today, they are owned by Inna Gudavadze, the Georgian businesswoman and widow of Badri Patarkatsishvili. The station mainly concentrates on news and analytical coverage but broadcasts pop music as well, particularly at night-time. Imedi means "hope" in Georgian.〔(New York Times, Salome Zourabichvili OP ED, A Fresh Start in Georgia 3.4.2009 )〕 ==History== Radio Imedi first aired on 105.9 FM in December 2001 in Tbilisi. Since December 2003 "Radio Imedi" has broadcast 24 hours a day across all the settled territory in Georgia. When Imedi was founded, it was the first independently owned broadcasting station in Georgia. During the 2007 Georgian demonstrations the station was the most watched station and the only one critical of the Mikheil Saakashvili government.〔BBC, (Georgian TV feud mirrors poll rivalry ), 4.1.2008〕 It remained the only independent station in the country until it was forcibly seized by government troops in 2007 and then expropriated from its legal owners for criticising the government.〔(New York Times, Salome Zourabichvili OP ED, A Fresh Start in Georgia 3.4.2009 )〕 After several years of affective government control, it was returned to the Patarkatsishvili family in 2012. During the Sandro Girgvliani murder investigation in 2006, Patarkatsishvili stated that the Georgian authorities were mounting pressure on his station and other businesses after it had broadcast details of the scandal. "It is no secret that Imedi television was the first one which reported the circumstances of Sandro Girgvliani’s murder...this alone became a reason for the authorities’ dissatisfaction, which triggered the financial authorities to actively launch a probe into my businesses and my companies so () to force me to mount pressure against () journalists..and facilitate the creation of a favorable image of the authorities," Badri Patarkatsishvili went on to say that he would never yield to pressure from the authorities. The station carried statements by opposition leaders and broadcast footage of police breaking up protests during the 2007 November Georgian demonstrations and went off air after riot police burst into their offices on November 7, 2007.〔CNN, (Georgia: State of emergency called ), 7.11.2007〕 The seizure was seen as symbolic of the governments attacks on private property at the time.〔(New York Times, Salome Zourabichvili OP ED, A Fresh Start in Georgia 3.4.2009 )〕 The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) suspended Imedi TV's broadcast license for a three-month period, citing violation of law on broadcasting by the television station. The GNCC says in its decision that on November 7, Imedi TV reported "an obvious disinformation that law enforcement officers were planning to storm cathedral of Holy Trinity... This report has created an imminent and real threat of overgrowing riots into large-scale massive unrests, which could eventually led to uncontrollable processes." Georgian officials further accused Patarkatsishvili of controlling the Imedi TV’s editorial policy and using it for inciting unrests. As a proof for their allegations, Georgia's General Prosecutor's Office released, on November 16, 2007, several taped phone conversations between Patarkatsishvili and Giorgi Targamadze, chief of Imedi TV’s political programs, and also between a producer and a journalist of Imedi TV. The government's closure of the station and the handling of the demonstration were criticised by the West.〔(BBC News, Georgians in feud over TV station 11.3.2009 )〕 Meanwhile, Rustavi 2, which is regarded as close to the government,〔http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19352〕 TV aired on 16 November a half an hour documentary about Imedi TV's role in the anti-governmental demonstrations, which is based exclusively on an interview of deputy chief prosecutor, Nika Gvaramia.〔(Imedi TV License Suspended for Three Months ). Civil Georgia. Civil Georgia, Tbilisi/2007-11-17.〕 Tbilisi City Court ruled on December 6, 2007 to unfreeze Imedi's assets – the last remaining legal obstacle for the television station to get back on air. The company's management stated that the studio equipment was badly damaged in a November 7 police raid.〔(‘Imedi Studio Equipment Badly Damaged’ ). Civil Georgia. 2007-12-07.〕 Later on December 12, 2007, Imedi TV resumed broadcasts thirty four days after the television station was shut down.〔(Imedi Resumes Broadcasts ). Civil Georgia, 2007-12-12.〕 A criminal case against its co-owner, Badri Patarkatsishvili was launched 〔(Court Lifts Ban on Imedi ). Civil Georgia. 2007-12-06.〕 however Patarkatsishvili denied the charges against him claiming that they were politically motivated.〔(BBC News, Georgians in feud over TV station 11.3.2009 )〕 On December 26, 2007, several leading journalists from Imedi TV left their jobs following the release of video and audio recordings by the authorities suggesting that Badri Patarkatsishvili, the station's founder and co-owner, was plotting a coup. Later that day, the television station’s management announced that Imedi TV temporarily suspended broadcasts until the station's "legal status in respect of ownership is not clarified." "By doing so we are distancing from dirty political games", said Giorgi Targamadze, head of the Imedi TV's political programs.〔(Imedi TV Suspends Broadcasts ). ''Civil Georgia'', Tbilisi. 2007-12-26.〕 Badri Afanasyev, a former Imedi producer, asked political asylum in Russia on October 17, 2009.〔Kyiv Post: (Georgian TV producer asks for political asylum in Russia )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Imedi Media Holding」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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