Natia Lazashvili Reports Live on Quitting TV 9

Media.ge

Live at 21:00 in the evening of November 22 the newsreader Natia Lazashvili said she is quitting the TV company.

“Unfortunately I have to make the same statement for the second time, like few years ago on Rustavi 2, with the only difference, I had worked for Rustavi 2 for 11 years, and just eight months for TV 9,” said Natia Lazashvili reporting live. The newscaster once again clarified the reasons she, together with other colleagues, decided to quit the TV company for.”

“Yesterday we expressed our willingness that, due to the ongoing reorganization it was possible to avert the processes that are now being on at TV 9. But today the employees have been told that the reorganization on the channel is complete. Statements were also made that are absolutely unacceptable to those who made individual decisions and surely for those who at this stage remain at the channel. We don’t think it’s possible to work with the management who equates television with a farm. We respect every profession but on behalf of me I would like to tell you that after a long consideration I came to work at a television, not a farm. It is quite possible though that I might have to do that under the circumstances.”

It is incomprehensible to journalists, Lazashvili said, if Bidzina Ivanishvili feels inconvenient for the television owned by his family why doesn’t the new head of the channel [Luba Eliashvili] feel the same if the member of her family [Luba Eliashvili’s husband Shalva Shavgulidze] is the representative of a certain political party [Georgian Dream coalition] at the Parliament and the member of the Council of Justice.
According to Natia Lazashvili Luba Eliashvili told journalists that the TV company had a low rating and thus far it has been making snobbish news.

“We take full responsibility for the product we have been making for eight months and now enable the new head to make the news that she believes to be top-rated. She also pointed out that the employees having quit the channel suggested the new head to remain on the channel as long as it is necessary for the smooth operation of the news service. Luba Eliashvili though said there was no need to and would recruit the new staff on the same day.

I am very much sorry that the phone talks released few months ago over Luba Eliashvili’s coming to TV 9 and making a mention of the word destruction have been virtually confirmed. Intentionally or unintentionally this very process is underway, and we do hope whatever we have been building for eight months, together with colleagues, is not going to be destroyed. I Would like to express my gratitude to all of the employees of TV 9. Also I want to tell them that this was one of the best periods of my career and the most healthy environment to work. I am proud, during a difficult period we passed through, I was the employee of TV 9, therefore, once again I want to thank all of you "- Natia Lazashvili stressed.

On November 30  TV 9 was quit by several journalists working on news production, head of the news service TamarRukhadze, deputy director and the host of the TV program Concilium Vasil Maghlaperidze, advisor to deputy director  for public-political affairs Irina Tevdorashvili. They reached the decision after Director General Kakha Bekauri quit the channel.