The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) serves as Georgia’s national public broadcast company, operating two television and two radio channels.
Media assets
Television: First Channel, Second Channel
Radio: Georgian Radio, Georgian Radio Music
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The main governing bodies of GPB consist of the Board of Trustees and the Director General. The Board of Trustees, comprising nine members appointed by Parliament, is responsible for selecting the GPB’s Director General through an open competition.
Source of funding and budget
GPB is the leading recipient of public funds among all media outlets in Georgia. In 2022, according to data from the European Audiovisual Observatory, GPB operated with a budget of €23.9. The government contributed most of those funds, €22.4m.
Legislation dictates that the state subsidy for the public media, specifically the GPB, should be at least 0.14% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This legal stipulation is designed to prevent political interference in the GPB’s operations, as it removes the authority’s ability to approve the public media budget annually.
In the fall of 2023, the Georgian government proposed a change in the funding model for the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) to replace the current model with a state budget allocation. The government justified this move by stating that the existing funding model was not in sync with the recent economic developments. With Georgia’s significant GDP growth, GPB’s 2024 budget was projected to increase by 160% to approximately GEL 110.3m (€37.5m). This amount far exceeded the actual financial requirements of the broadcaster, the government argued.
Editorial independence
Despite being legally obliged to provide balanced editorial coverage, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) has faced extensive criticism for its perceived pro-government bias. This bias is evident in actions such as the discontinuation of talk shows that were open to opposition viewpoints. An international media watchdog has labeled GPB as “distinctly pro-government.” Documented instances of censorship at GPB in recent years further underscore these criticisms.
The Law on Broadcasting mandates GPB to deliver “accurate and up-to-date information free of political and commercial bias” and ‘cater to the needs and interests of the broader Georgian society through a variety of programs and viewpoints.” However, these provisions are not adhered to in practice.
The GPB Public Board was created to represent public interests within GPB. Specifically, the Board’s responsibilities involve examining public concerns about GPB’s programming and providing suggestions for enhancements to GPB’s management.
August 2024