Georgia will speak Russian. What other language is good for dealing with Caucasians? Surely it's not English. From January 1 2010 the First Caucasian Channel will start operating in Tbilisi to cover the territory of Caucasus. There is a version the authorities are going to bolster anti-Russian forces in North Caucasus. GeorgiaTimes correspondent was trying to find out if the Russian-speaking channel is a new tool of the Georgian authorities in the PR war with Russia

For a few days already Georgian and Russian media have been reporting on extension of Georgian broadcasting to North Caucasus. The information is controversial so far: some say the channel will be based on Alania TV, others refer to the Public Broadcaster. According to a source the channel will be managed by Alla Dudaeva, the widow of first Chechen president Jakhar Dudaev. Later it was reported that Russian journalist Oleg Panfilov would be in charge of the channel. Georgia nominated Panfilov as OSCE representative for freedom of media.

Today there is more clarity. The information on First Caucasus Channel based on Alania TV hasn't been confirmed, Kommersant newspaper writes according to Alania spokesperson Vika Kavzharadze. But as it always happens in Georgia - the situation is much more complicated.

Aforementioned Vika Kavzharadze said there was a plan to create something of that kind on the basis of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). Alania will keep broadcasting in South Ossetia, Kommersant writes. It will be remarked that Alania TV has been broadcasting in the Russian language since 2006, in South Ossetia too.

It was repeatedly reported in the media the channel was an instrument of the state propaganda. This channel could easily be turned into the voice of Caucasus. Now the channel is under reorganization, as Alania employees confirm.

Though the channel leadership denies information on creation of a Caucasian channel on the basis of Alania Georgia is in the middle of a traditional squabble. Georgia's "Objective" union of journalists reported that on Alania TV basis the Georgian authorities are planning to create the Caucasian channel with Russian journalist Oleg Panfilov as its director. This is what the union's statement reads, GHN reports.

The Objective asserts that over a number of years Alania TV has been illegally broadcasting on 35 dm frequency that Objective journalists lost in 2004. "The confrontation between Alania TV and Objective journalists will be featured in documentaries, now in production. The legal proceedings are now underway on the issue.

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