On February 24, the Public Broadcaster reduced the February salary of Ketevan Sinitsa, Human Resources Projects Manager of the Human Resources Management Department, by 30 percent “for disseminating incorrect information in the public space that damages the employer’s reputation.” In the event of a repeat violation, she was threatened with dismissal.
According to an order issued by Tinatin Berdzenishvili, a disciplinary sanction was imposed on Ketevan Sinitsa for sharing a Facebook post by a dismissed employee of the Public Broadcaster, Kakha Melikidze, citing violations of the “Rules for the Use of Social Networks” and provisions of the Broadcasters’ Code of Conduct.
In 2025, employees critical of the channel were dismissed from the First Channel of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, including Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, journalist and anchor of the news program “Moambe,” and Nino Zautashvili, author and host of the socio-political program “Realuri Sivrtse.”
The channel’s management reportedly adopted a negative stance toward director Kakha Melikidze after he publicly accused the broadcaster’s leadership of pressuring him to frequently show officials of “Georgian Dream,” including Irakli Kobakhidze, during broadcasts of national team football matches.
On October 25, Kakha Melikidze, the director of the on-air equipment and technology group at the Georgian Public Broadcaster, wrote on social media that he had received another warning from the channel and would be fined 30% of his November salary.
Melikidze noted that the reason for this was an interview he gave to the international publication Internazionale. In the interview, he spoke about the suspension of Georgia’s EU accession talks by Georgian Dream’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the developments surrounding Channel One.
“I received a second warning, and it will probably be over soon, and I will be fired from the Public Broadcaster,” Melikidze wrote on Facebook.
The Public Broadcaster first imposed disciplinary sanctions on Kakha Melikidze in April, along with other journalists critical of the channel. At that time, the channel’s management considered the employees’ actions to be “calling into question the broadcaster’s editorial independence and impartiality through statements disseminated in public space and, as a result, causing reputational damage to the employer.”
According to GPB Guardians, the Public Broadcaster’s First Channel has fired another employee of “Real Space,” Meri Shikhashvili. GPB Guardians reports that Shikhashvili was dismissed immediately upon returning from maternity leave.
The Public Broadcaster, amid pro-European demonstrations, has been dismissing employees who are critical of management, with some also facing various disciplinary sanctions.
In 2025, the Public Broadcaster imposed disciplinary measures or dismissed several employees for expressing critical positions. Among them are Nino Zautashvili, host and creator of the program “Real Space,” and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, host of the program “Moambe.”
On August 26, 2025, the Public Broadcaster accused editor-operator, Giga Kitia, of causing “reputational damage” to the channel due to his participation in a protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue and deducted 30 percent from his September salary.
The Public Broadcaster warned Giga Kitia that if he is found to have committed a similar or other type of violation within 12 months, he will be dismissed from his job.
The Public Broadcaster also issued a reprimand to the editor-operator in April.
The Public Broadcaster dismissed critical journalists from the channel in April 2025.
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.
