The government has issued News Corporation, co-owners of Imedi TV, with a list of prerequisites for the station to resume broadcasting, Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told a cabinet meeting on November 28.

On November 26, Gurgenidze met Martin Pompadur, the Executive Vice-President of News Corporation, to discuss the ongoing dispute over Imedi TV, which is currently subject to a three-month broadcast suspension.

Imedi TV was dramatically taken off air when police stormed the station’s headquarters on November 7 after the government crackdown on protestors on Rustaveli Avenue.

The authorities allege that the station, which was founded by the prominent business tycoon and presidential candidate Badri Patarkatsishvili, aired statements encouraging the overthrow of the government.

The continued closure of the station has provoked statements of concern from foreign governments.

At the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the prime minister said that legislation would be passed to regulate the media in Georgia, but that, in the interests of restoring Imedi TV’s broadcast license as soon as possible, only basic demands were being asked of News Corporation.

Alexander Lomaia, Secretary of the Security Council, listed the three broad conditions at a press briefing yesterday. Firstly, News Corporation must demonstrate financial transparency; secondly, the ownership and management of the station should be made transparent; and thirdly, Imedi journalists should abide by a professional code of ethics.

Lomaia also addressed claims that the station had sustained damage to technical equipment during the police raid, which, Imedi management says, could cause it to remain off air even after its license is restored.

The government official said any “possible” damage sustained by the station would be reimbursed by the state.

Gurgenidze also put forward a proposal for the establishment of a media watchdog which would ensure all journalists abide by a code of ethics.

However, Imedi TV’s director of political programs, Giorgi Targamadze, called the requirements a mark of government “incompetence,” claiming that documents detailing the company’s financial arrangements and ownership were readily available.

On November 27, Salome Zourabichvili of the Georgia’s Way opposition party called on acting president Nino Burjanadze to demonstrate a commitment to democracy and help lift the broadcast ban on Imedi TV.

Zourabichvili recently returned from a trip to western Europe, where she met foreign dignitaries. She said “expectations are high in the west” for Burjanadze to help return Imedi TV to air.