Parallel to the pro-European protests in Georgia that began in the fall of 2024, the crisis at the Public Broadcaster’s First Channel has intensified. The broadcaster’s leadership responded to this crisis by implementing a repressive policy. The channel continued its biased, non-objective editorial line in favor of the Georgian Dream party – a trend highlighted in numerous studies – while simultaneously launching punitive measures against employees who exposed the management’s misconduct and the ruling party’s repressive tactics.
As a result, according to publicly available information, 41 incidents have been recorded initiated by the First Channel’s management from the spring of 2025 to the present. These incidents affected 29 employees of the Public Broadcaster. Some of them became targets of both sanctions and dismissals. (See Appendix #1 for the list of these employees).
Publicly reported incidents:
- 6 cases of dismissal from work;
- 11 cases of imposing disciplinary sanctions;
- 13 cases where employees refused management’s offer to transfer to other programs after their own shows were canceled, subsequently leaving the channel;
- 7 cases of employees resigning voluntarily in protest;
- 2 programs canceled;
- 2 segments canceled.
In addition to the incidents listed above, 4 incidents were recorded concerning the activities and members of the Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees.
Escalation of the Crisis
On November 28, 2024, the Georgian Dream Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced its party’s decision to suspend the country’s EU accession negotiations until 2028. Large-scale protests broke out in Tbilisi that same evening. According to publicly available information, 40 media representatives were obstructed in their work on November 28 alone. Police forces treated journalists, photographers, and camera operators with brutality.
The Public Broadcaster failed to provide comprehensive coverage of the ongoing events in the country. Consequently, a continuous protest began outside the television building on November 30. Concurrently, a part of the Public Broadcaster’s staff began to openly criticize the channel’s editorial policy. They founded an initiative group called “Guardians of the Public Broadcaster” and began a fight for the “recovery of the channel.”
On December 3 2024, a joint statement by more than 80 employees of the Public Broadcaster was released. The journalists condemned the violence against their colleagues and demanded that the broadcaster’s airtime be dedicated to voicing public opinion and hosting public discussions. “Unfortunately, the Public Broadcaster has long failed to fulfill its legally mandated obligations and does not reflect events in an in-depth and impartial manner,” the statement read.
On December 23, ten local organizations published a statement claiming that the Public Broadcaster was violating the Law on Broadcasting by failing to abide by its legal duties, including the promotion of Georgia’s integration into the European Union. The organizations demanded the resignations of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Vasil Maglaperidze, and the channel’s General Director, Tinatin Berdzenishvili.
In parallel, daily citizen protests continued outside the Public Broadcaster’s building in Tbilisi. One such large-scale protest was announced for January 29, 2025. Two days before the rally, on January 27, a statement by eight members of the Board of Trustees was published on the Public Broadcaster’s online platform. They expressed concern over ongoing events, claiming that protesters were being “used against the channel by individual [political] leaders and activists.”
Dismissed and Sanctioned Employees
On January 30, 2025, during a meeting of the Board of Trustees, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani the anchor of the 6:00 p.m. news program Moambe, who had been expressing on-air solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli (the illegally detained founder of online news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti) criticized the Board Chairman Vasil Maghlaperidze for interfering in editorial decisions of the broadcaster.
By February 4, during the next Board meeting, Ivanov-Chikovani was suspended from his anchoring duties indefinitely. It was stated during the meeting that producers had refused to work with him, citing his critical on-air remarks and his solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli as the reasons. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) characterized this as a persecution of a journalist for expressing a public position.
Following this event, the Public Broadcaster’s management initiated a repressive policy against employees who were particularly critical. This included Nino Zautashvili, the author and anchor of the social and political program Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space), and her editorial team.
On February 28, the first employee was dismissed: Ana Metreveli, assistant producer for the social shows Shuadghis Piki (Midday Peak) and Saghomos Piki (Evening Peak). The official reason given for not renewing her contract was “cost optimization.” Ana Metreveli went public with her salary details, revealing her net take-home pay was only 490 GEL.
On March 23, another staff member, Ani Jobava from the morning show, was removed from the air.
In April, the repressions reached a new level:
April 11: Journalists Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani and Nino Zautashvili were dismissed. The stated grounds were “disciplinary investigations,” the results of which were not shared with them prior to their firing.
The same day, the channel’s management imposed disciplinary sanctions on four other employees: journalist Tamar Mshvenieradze, anchor Ioseb Katsitadze, control room director Kakhaber Melikidze, and branding/promotion director Irma Chubinidze.
In solidarity with the afore-mentioned staff members of the broadcaster, journalists Tea Kakhiani and Davit Velijanashvili resigned from the channel.
The Social Justice Center assessed these events: “The developments at the broadcaster demonstrate a grave reality of the regime gaining political control over and seizing a constitutionally protected independent institution, which, against the backdrop of deteriorating media freedom in Georgia, is a manifestation of a disturbing trend toward the consolidation of authoritarianism.”
On April 17, four more employees, editor Tukha Kvinikadze, executive producer Tamar Chincharashvili, correspondent Ana Abakelia, and editor-operator Givi (Giga) Kitia received disciplinary sanctions. The General Director of the broadcaster, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, reprimanded them for “questioning the broadcaster’s editorial independence and impartiality through public statements, thereby causing reputational damage to the employer.” They were warned of potential dismissal for any further violations within the next 12 months.
On August 26, 2025, Giga Kitia was sanctioned a second time for participating in a protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Accused of “reputational damage,” 30% was deducted from his September salary.
On September 1, Meri Shikhashvili, another Realuri Sivrtse staff member returning from maternity leave, was also dismissed.
On December 26, 2025, the broadcaster fired director Kakhaber Melikidze, who had worked at the channel since 1998. According to the “Guardians of the Public Broadcaster,” Melikidze was among the first to openly expose the political pressure exerted on staff. The channel’s management reportedly pressured him to frequently show Georgian Dream officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, during national football team matches, even when this contradicted UEFA standards and regulations. Prior to his firing, he had been sanctioned twice (April 11 and October 25).
On February 11, 2026, management reprimanded studio operator Givi Chimakadze for “reputation-damaging” social media posts and issued a final warning.
On February 24, Ketevan Sinitsa, an HR project manager, had 30% of her February salary deducted for “promoting the spread of incorrect information damaging to the employer’s reputation in the public space.”
Canceled Programs and Segments
On April 30, 2025, the management of First Channel decided to close the program Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space). This decision communicated to the employees in writing read: “As you are aware, the project term for the Public Broadcaster’s talk show Realuri Sivrtse expires on May 1. Given that the employment relationship with the host and face of the said talk show was terminated on April 11, 2025, there are no plans to extend the project term for this talk show.”
The program Realuri Sivrtse focused on social issues and was distinguished by its critical stance toward the Georgian Dream. Since the fall of 2024, under the pretext of the process of moving to the television’s new building, Realuri Sivrtse had been airing on the First Channel’s radio. Following Nino Zautashvili’s dismissal from the channel, Realuri Sivrtse ceased to air on the radio as well. The Realuri Sivrtse team rejected management’s offer to continue working on the radio’s morning program; as a result, six of the program’s employees left the First Channel (see above).
On July 25, it became known that First Channel was closing the program Am Shabat-Kviras (This Weekend). The channel’s management offered the program’s team executive producers Tamar Chincharashvili and Mariam Pirtskhalava, producer Nia Barabadze, journalist Ana Abakelia, and hosts Lika Evgenidze and Giorgi Sharvashidze transfers to other programs. A letter sent to the employees by the channel’s director, Tina Berdzenishvili, indicated that if they did not accept the offer, their cooperation would be terminated.
According to the letter, the program’s project term was set to expire on August 1, 2025 and would not be extended because the broadcaster no longer had a need for it: “Starting from the new television season, the afternoon slot of the updated broadcasting grid will be dedicated to a new project covering every day of the week. Consequently, a separate and additional need for a weekend-only program no longer exists.” All six employees refused to transfer to other programs. Accordingly, they were dismissed from their jobs as of August 1.
On the same day, it was revealed that First Channel also closed journalist Ia Antadze’s project, Saintereso Adamianebi (Interesting People). “Of course, this decision was not unexpected, as I perceive it as a natural consequence of my choices and my responsibility,” the journalist wrote on social media. She also stated, “Until now, my social activity was restricted by contract, and I honestly upheld that condition. Now I am completely free and will try to share with you along the way every opinion that I consider important.” As part of the project, a portrait-genre interview was published once a week on the First Channel’s website. In the recent period, Ia Antadze’s respondents included individuals who openly criticize Georgian Dream, including journalist and founder of the publication Publika Zura Vardiashvili, Chair of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association Nona Kurdovanidze, former public official Davit Chkheidze, and numerous individuals involved in pro-European protests.
On July 30, it became known that the segment Adamianebi Istoriidan (People from History) would no longer air on First Channel starting from the fall season. “This was my last program on the Public Broadcaster… I want to wish our listeners success. Also, I wish for our country to unite, strengthen, and become a just nation,” Dimitri Silakadze said as he bid farewell to the audience. He refused an offer to transfer to another program and decided to leave the channel. His segment, Adamianebi Istoriidan, was initially broadcast during the program Am Shabat-Kviras, but from 2024, it moved to the First Channel radio program Shuadghis Pikis Saati (Midday Peak Hour).
The Role of the Board of Trustees in the Broadcaster’s Repressive Policy
The channel’s management implemented its repressive policy against critical employees with the direct assistance of the Board of Trustees.
For instance, on March 21, 2025, during a board meeting, individual members of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees discussed the critical statements made by several journalists, including Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani and Nino Zautashvili. They deliberated on the necessity of involving the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the activities of these journalists. “I think it is very appropriate for the Prosecutor’s Office to study this matter—why these people suddenly wanted this story together, why these events are linked to one another. None of this is their own independent creation because when you have the first, the second, the third, and then everyone gathered here together, it doesn’t happen by chance,” Vasil Maglaperidze stated during the meeting.
Soon after, the Board of Trustees attempted to bar critical journalists from attending board meetings. Specifically, on April 29, 2025, when a board meeting was scheduled, Nino Zautashvili, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, Giga Kitia, and Giorgi Iasashvili submitted written requests to attend the session in accordance with existing rules. However, the Board of Trustees denied them entry.
During the May 30, 2025 meeting, board members introduced amendments to the regulations of the Public Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees. Under the previous version of the regulations, any interested person could physically attend the Public Broadcaster’s public board meetings by providing prior notice. Following the amendments, however, attendance would henceforth only be possible online. These changes, supported by eight board members, went into effect on June 1. These shifts made the Public Broadcaster’s operations even more opaque.
There was also an incident where a board member, who was critical of the Chairman’s initiative, was publicly insulted with offensive language by another member after the Chairman made a statement potentially damaging to the channel’s operations and reputation. Specifically, in February 2026, after it became known that Great Britain had imposed sanctions on two pro-government channels Imedi and POSTV, the Board Chairman Vasil Maghlaperidze expressed open support for these channels. Following his supportive remarks during a board meeting, one of the board members, Lika Basilaia-Shavgulidze, asked Vasil Maghlaperidze whether this support put the Public Broadcaster’s operations at risk; this question was met with verbal abuse from another member of the board.
Appendix #1
List of Employees Affected by the Channel’s Repressive Policy (The list is based on publicly reported cases collected by CMISand data from the “Makurebeli” platform)
Dismissed Employees:
- Ana Metreveli – Assistant Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras (This Weekend)
- Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani – Anchor, Moambe News
- Nino Zautashvili – Anchor, Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space)
- Ia Antadze – Project Saintereso Adamianebi (Interesting People)
- Kakha Melikidze – Sports Channel Director and Control Room Director
- Meri Shikhashvili – Journalist, Realuri Sivrtse (Real Space)
Employees who resigned after refusing management’s offer to transfer to other programs following show cancellations:
- Keti Kapanadze – Producer, Realuri Sivrtse
- Tamara Mshvenieradze – Journalist, Realuri Sivrtse
- Omar Tsotsoria – Journalist, Realuri Sivrtse
- Tukha Kvinikadze – Editor, Realuri Sivrtse
- Soso Katsitadze – Co-anchor, Realuri Sivrtse
- Tamar Chincharashvili – Executive Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Ana Abakelia – Journalist, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Mariam Pirtskhalava – Executive Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Nia Barabadze – Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Lika Evgenidze – Anchor, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Giorgi Sharvashidze – Anchor, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Dimitri Silakadze – Co-anchor, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Ani Jobava – Journalist, Morning Show (Initially removed from the air; received no transfer offer and ultimately left the channel).
Employees who resigned voluntarily (on the basis of their own application):
- Lekso Kurkhuli – Web Editor
- Tea Kakhiani – Monitoring Manager
- Davit Velijanashvili – Anchor
- Nino Dadvani – Promotion Group Director
- Irma Chubinidze – Promotion Group Director
- Keti Vashagashvili – Promotion Group Director
- Keti Eleishvili – Scriptwriter
Employees subjected to disciplinary sanctions:
- Tamara Mshvenieradze – Journalist, Realuri Sivrtse
- Soso Katsitadze – Co-anchor, Realuri Sivrtse
- Kakha Melikidze – Sports Channel/Control Room Director (Sanctioned twice)
- Irma Chubinidze – Promotion Group Director
- Tukha Kvinikadze – Editor, Realuri Sivrtse
- Tamar Chincharashvili – Executive Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Nia Barabadze – Producer, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Ana Abakelia – Journalist, Am Shabat-Kviras
- Giga Kitia – Video Editor, Public Broadcaster
- Givi Chimakadze – Studio Operator, Engineering and Technology Operators Group
- Ketevan Sinitsa – HR Project Manager, Human Resources Management Department
