The Georgian Public Broadcaster did not renew the employment contract of Ana Metreveli, assistant producer of the radio programs “Afternoon Peak” and “Evening Peak.” She was an employee who had criticized the channel’s editorial policy.
In a conversation with “Publika,” Ana Metreveli stated that management made the decision without consulting the main producer. She links this decision to her recent activism. Ana Metreveli is a member of the organization “Defenders of the Georgian Public Broadcaster,” a union of employees advocating for the protection of public broadcasting principles.
The official reason given for not renewing her contract was cost optimization. Ana publicly disclosed her salary, which was 490 GEL (net).
This is the second such incident recently at the Georgian Public Broadcaster. On February 4, 2025, the Georgian Public Broadcaster temporarily suspended journalist Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, the anchor of the 6 PM news, from hosting the program. He had also criticized the channel’s editorial policy.
On March 23, 2025, it became known that Ani Jobava, a journalist and contributor to the morning program at the Georgian Public Broadcaster — where she had worked for seven years — was removed from on-air duties. The journalist announced the news on social media.
She links the decision to her critical stance toward the channel’s editorial policy.
“Hi, I’m Ani Jobava, a journalist for the Public Broadcaster’s morning show. I was not called in… First they excluded me from meetings, then cut off communication, and that’s how it went for over a month and a half,” Jobava wrote on social media.
Ani Jobava is one of the journalists who signed a staff statement condemning and protesting violence against fellow citizens and colleagues. The statement also called for the broadcaster’s airtime to be used for amplifying public opinion and encouraging open debate.
Similar to Ani Jobava, the broadcaster’s management also removed news anchor Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani from the air. He, too, has been critical of the Public Broadcaster’s editorial direction.
On April 29, 2025, a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster was held. In accordance with existing procedures, Nino Zautashvili, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, Giga Kitia, and Giorgi Iasashvili submitted written requests to attend the session. However, the board denied them access. Nino Zautashvili shared this information in a social media post.
As a reminder, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani and Nino Zautashvili were dismissed from First Channel on April 11 of this year. Both journalists had openly expressed protest against the Georgian Dream party’s policies on air, supported the pro-European movement, and showed strong solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli, co-founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti.
Giga Kitia had received a formal written warning on April 17, 2025, for his criticism of the Public Broadcaster’s editorial policy.
On April 17, 2025, the management of the First Channel of the Georgian Public Broadcaster imposed disciplinary sanctions on three employees who have criticized the channel’s editorial policy, which they allege is biased in favor of the government. The employees are: Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space) editor Tukha Kvinikadze, executive producer of the Weekend Show Tamar Chincharauli, and Weekend Show correspondent Ana Abakelia. The disciplinary orders were signed by the broadcaster’s director, Tinatin Berdzenishvili.
According to the orders, the employees were sanctioned for “calling into question the broadcaster’s editorial independence and impartiality through statements made in the public sphere, thereby causing reputational harm to the employer.” The sanction is effective for one year. If the employees continue to criticize the channel during this period, they risk dismissal.
With these latest actions, disciplinary sanctions have now been issued to a total of seven employees at the Public Broadcaster. On April 11, similar warnings were given to Realuri Sivrtse journalist Tamar Mshvenieradze and anchor Ioseb Katsitadze, as well as technical director and part-time sports director Kakha Melikidze, and branding and promotion director Irma Chubinidze. That same day, two of the channel’s prominent on-air personalities were dismissed for also criticizing the broadcaster’s editorial stance.
The management of the First Channel of the Georgian Public Broadcaster has imposed disciplinary sanctions on four employees who have publicly criticized the channel’s editorial policy, accusing it of bias in favor of the government.
The employees are: journalist Tamar Mshvenieradze and anchor Ioseb Katsitadze from the program Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space), technical director and part-time sports channel director Kakha Melikidze, and branding and promotion director Irma Chubinidze.
Ioseb Katsitadze shared the disciplinary document on social media. According to the document, he is being sanctioned for “calling into question the broadcaster’s editorial independence and impartiality through public statements, thereby causing reputational harm to the employer.” The notice states that if Katsitadze repeats such conduct within the next 12 months, he will be dismissed. It is presumed that the same consequence may apply to the other three employees if they continue their criticism.
Katsitadze, Mshvenieradze, and Chubinidze are members of the Defenders of the Public Broadcaster movement and have been speaking out in recent months about political influence within the channel. On February 3, 2025, at a meeting of the broadcaster’s board of trustees, Kakha Melikidze publicly stated that the channel’s management interfered with his editorial work and repeatedly requested the on-air appearance of public officials during match broadcasts.
Today, April 11, it was also announced that the Public Broadcaster has dismissed two of its prominent on-air personalities, Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, who had likewise criticized the station’s editorial policies.
On May 30, 2025, a meeting of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees was held. The board made amendments to the regulations document of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees.
According to the changes, attendance at public meetings of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees will now only be possible online. Anyone wishing to attend must send a request via email no later than two days before the meeting, following the publication of the meeting agenda. The amendments also define the procedures for attending and participating in the meeting process. These changes will come into effect on June 1, 2025.
Under the previous version of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees regulations, any interested person could attend the public meetings in person with prior notice.
On May 5, 2025, employees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s program “Real Space” announced that the show had been officially canceled by the broadcaster’s decision.
Information about the closure was provided to the journalists in writing on April 30 by the management of the Public Broadcaster. The letter stated:
“Considering that on April 11, 2025, the employment relationship with the show’s host and face, Nino Zautashvili, was terminated, the continuation of the program is no longer planned.”
The statement was made by the “Real Space” team during a protest held in front of the Public Broadcaster’s building.
The Media Advocacy Coalition harshly criticized the Public Broadcaster’s decision:
“The Media Advocacy Coalition strongly condemns the leadership of the Public Broadcaster for shutting down the program ‘Real Space’, which has a 12-year history, for unlawfully dismissing its host Nino Zautashvili, intimidating journalists, and creating an inappropriate work environment. This decision constitutes a deliberate act of repression against journalists who openly criticized the broadcaster’s biased editorial policy, exposed political influence within the broadcaster, and revealed propaganda in favor of the ‘Georgian Dream’ party,” — the Coalition’s statement reads.The broadcaster’s management targeted Nino Zautashvili and her team due to their critical stance. According to them, on March 21, 2025, the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees even threatened Zautashvili with the Prosecutor’s Office.
