"We Report. You Decide:" A New Media Motto for Georgia?

Six months after Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation signed an undisclosed deal with Georgia's Imedi television, a popular station owned by multi-millionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili, the American television giant appears to have made little impact on the Georgian market. Nonetheless, as revisions continue on a code of ethics for Georgian broadcasters, some reporters and media observers are hoping that the media giant's presence will help set higher standards for local journalists.

The News Corporation presence, however, is decidedly discreet. Even with News Corporation and American flags flying overhead, guards at the entrance gate of Imedi's headquarters in Tbilisi say that they do not know that News Corporation executive F. Lewis Robertson, the head of News Media Caucasus, Imedi's parent company, has been in town for a few months now. Or where his office is located.

Robertson, who just started a two-year contract as the chief executive officer of News Media Caucasus, the parent company of Imedi television and Imedi radio, also downplays his role at the station. "I don't run Imedi television; that is not what I do. That is [Imedia General Director] Bidzina's [Baratishvili] job. But Bidzina and I work together with Imedi," he said.

Owner Patarkatsishvili's desire to have a western manager at the station "to bring in western television ideas" brought the News Coroporation executive to Georgia, reportedly. However, Robertson was quick to stress that despite his senior position, Patarkatsishvili remains the "majority" owner.

The exact breakdown of the sale has been the subject of controversy. Georgian media – including employees at Imedi – refer to News Corporation as owning a "substantial" part of the company. In an earlier interview with EurasiaNet, press officials at News Corporation refuted those claims. [For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive]. According to Andrew Butcher, senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications, News Corporation purchased less than a third of the company's assets although he would not name an exact figure.

Robertson also avoided the question, merely stating that he doesn't "get into those types of numbers." He did add that it was "significant enough" to bring him to Georgia on a two-year contract.

Robertson affirmed that market growth dictates News Corporation's interest in Georgia. According to the company's calculations, while the Georgian television market is small, it is growing at 30 percent a year, which spells huge potential profits for the company.

While Murdoch and News Corporation – especially the company's television station Fox – have come under fire in the United States, Europe and Murdoch's home country of Australia for biased journalism, the merger with Imedi has been largely welcome in Georgia.

According to Joni Kalandadze, an editor at Imedi television for the past four years, the sale represents "stability."

"I think it is very profitable for us, very good that this sort of magnate has appeared to come to the Georgian market," he said. "They have not said how much they bought, but as far as I know they bought a rather substantial part