TBILISI, DFWatch – The outgoing US Ambassador to Georgia criticized the lack of diversity in Georgian television before an important parliamentary election.

Ambassador John Bass criticized the current state of affairs in Georgia, saying citizens today only have access to a small circle of broadcasters.

He said in an election year, it is very important that every citizen has the opportunity to access a wide spectrum of information and get familiar with the different views of political parties.

He said that the principles of must-offer and must-carry is one way of solving the problem of broad access to media, referring to a new law proposal made by local Tbilisi think tanks meant to provide people with more diverse information before the election. But he added that it is up to Georgian society how to solve this problem.

Bass spoke during a conference in the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank dedicated to promoting understanding of NATO.