Media.ge
Two hours after TV-Company TV9 Ceased functioning, a new group appeared on the social network Facebook under title
“We purchase TV9 and Set Up JSC” and 2 000 persons had joined the group by 12:00 pm on August 20. The group members are journalists of TV9, their colleagues from other companies, former MPs, members of civil society and experts.
“Dear friends, the group was set up to support the idea of purchasing TV9 by Joint Stock Company and make it into a real public television whose share holders will be citizens. Currently, the group is in the process of establishment. If you agree with the idea, you can join the group and share your opinions. In near future, we intend to officially petition to the channel owners with the procurement request,” former MP and journalist Vasil Maglaferidze said.
“I am ready to support this idea both physically and materially,” said former MP and expert of economy Demur Giorkhelidze.
One more slogan “Georgian People Shall Purchase TV9” appeared in the facebook. “An initiative group shall be purchased, which will start negotiations with the channel owner in order to allow certain group of people to purchase the TV-Company in order to protect it from the influence of any political power in future,” the authors of the slogan say.
TV-9 stopped broadcasting with the evening newscast on August 19 after Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili spread statement that his family is going to close down the TV-Channel and news agency Info 9 on September 1 if somebody does not purchase it meanwhile.