Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC)
The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) is a public service media company founded in 1953 as the Cyprus Broadcasting Service. Currently, the broadcaster operates four radio channels, two television stations, and an international service (RIK Sat) that serves the Cypriot diaspora.
Media assets
Television: CyBC 1, CyBC 2, CyBC HD, RIK Sat, RIK World
Radio: First Channel, Second Channel, Third Channel, Fourth Channel, External Service
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
CyBC was established as a legal entity by the CyBC Law. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of nine members appointed by the country’s government (Council of Ministers). In 2024, the government appointed a new board of directors. On January 19, 2024, Stavros Georgiades, a professor at Frederick University, was appointed as the new Chairman of the CyBC board, with Christina Sarri as the Vice President. This replaced the board that had appointed Thanasis Tsokos as CEO in January 2022.
In May 2024, the government launched a disciplinary investigation into Thanasis Tsokos, who was the acting Director General, over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of power. The CyBC board subsequently voted to suspend him for three months, and he was replaced by an acting Director General. Tsokos’ legal team challenged the suspension, arguing the decision was unlawful and that the board itself had an unlawful composition. The case was brought before the Administrative Court for review.
Source of funding and budget
CyBC was initially funded through a tax on electricity, which served as a disguised license fee. Since 2000, most of the broadcaster’s funding has come from a state subsidy from the national budget.
According to publicly available data, CyBC received a state subsidy of €32.8 million in 2019. In 2022, CyBC acknowledged financial problems and pledged to “modernize” its operations, facing criticism from Members of Parliament (MPs) for its large staff and high expenditures.
Parliament approved CyBC’s budget of €39.3 million for 2024, with €26.7 million allocated to personnel expenses. This approval came amid tensions with staff unions, who threatened to strike if their salaries were not paid. The broadcaster’s draft budget for 2025 has also been a subject of discussion, though specific final figures for 2025 and 2026 are still under review as part of the broader national budgetary process.
Editorial independence
Since 1959, CyBC has operated independently of direct government-imposed rules on its editorial policy. However, the government exerts indirect control by having full decision-making power over the station’s yearly budget and the appointment of its board of directors. This allows the political party in power to influence the station’s editorial decisions.
Academic studies have shown that CyBC often serves the interests of the political party in power. Concerns were raised in recent years about the criteria used to invite MPs to shows and accusations of canceling programs for political reasons persisted, leading various media outlets to label CyBC as a “government mouthpiece.”
In late 2024, a report by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts recommended that Cyprus “strengthen the presence of Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic in broadcasting,” highlighting a need for more inclusive and diverse content on public media. No domestic statute or independent assessment mechanism to validate CyBC’s editorial independence has been identified.
August 2025