On July 30, 2025, it was announced that starting from the autumn season, the Public Broadcaster’s Channel One will no longer air the segment “People from History.” The host of the segment, Dimitri Silakadze, declined an offer to move to another program and decided to leave the channel. Silakadze is a participant and supporter of the ongoing pro-European protests in the country and is among those who have criticized the editorial policy of the Public Broadcaster.
“This was my last program on the Public Broadcaster… I wish our audience success. I also wish our country unity, strength, the establishment of a just state, and all the good that one can wish for their own country,” said the host to viewers in the season finale on July 29.
His segment “People from History” was initially broadcast on the program “This Weekend” and, since 2024, had moved to the Public Broadcaster’s radio show “Midday Peak Hour.”
In the past week, this is the third instance in which management has halted an ongoing project or segment: as of August 1, the program “This Weekend” will no longer air, and journalist Ia Antadze’s authorial project a series of profiles called “Interesting People”—will also end. All other members of “This Weekend” (seven journalists) and Ia Antadze have left the channel. The team also declined the offer to be redistributed across various TV and radio programs.
Earlier, in May, the Public Broadcaster closed its most well-known social program, “Real Space,” and terminated the employment contract of its host, Nino Zautashvili.
The dismissal or disciplining of employees critical of the channel’s editorial policy coincided with the pro-European protests. To date, more than 20 employees have been either dismissed or subjected to disciplinary sanctions at the Public Broadcaster through disciplinary proceedings.