Joseph Kay, a distant relative of Imedi's late founder, Badri Patarkatsishvili, has reportedly suspended the management agreement under which Rupert Murdoch's conglom has run the station since October, when it bought a 49% stake.

News Corp. will not comment until Kay has proven his ownership, which he claims he acquired last November. Patarkatsishvili's widow Inna Gudavadze disputes this and plans to challenge his claim in court.

News Corp.'s local executive, Lewis Robertson, told Daily Variety: "Due to what has happened and pending litigation, I have no comment at this time."

He added that a formal News Corp. statement would be issued soon.

Patarkatsishvili died from a suspected heart attack last month.

Kay, a Georgian-born American citizen who according to local media reports used to be known as Kakalashvili, met station staff in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday and vowed to continue Imedi's political independence.

His remarks were reportedly welcomed by Bidzina Baratashvili, station executive director, who said it paved the way for Imedi to go back on air with test broadcasts Tuesday and full schedule by around April 10.

Apart from a two-week period, Imedi has been off-air since early November when it was caught up in Georgia's political turmoil. Anti-government protestors clashed on the streets of Tbilisi with riot police and troops in the worst violence in the small Caucasian country since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Accused by President Mikhail Saakashvili's government of fomenting revolt, the station was stormed by heavily armed troops and shut down.