Euronews Georgia to Cut Local Coverage, Limit Itself to International Content
Euronews Georgia, the local franchise of the international news network that has reported on events in Georgia and abroad for five years, said it will stop covering domestic developments and limit itself to international reporting, citing its inability to cover operating costs and meet the financial terms of the franchise agreement.
The channel began broadcasting in 2020, following a franchise agreement between Georgian communications giant Silknet and the France-based international news network Euronews, signed in 2019. It has provided Georgian audiences with both local and international coverage, including reporting on ongoing protests, Georgia-EU relations, and political developments in the country.
“The analysis of the financial situation in the LLC Silk Media revealed that, considering current trends on the TV advertising market in Georgia, the current broadcasting model of the television cannot ensure to generate sufficient financial resources to cover the TV operation costs and financial obligations under the franchise agreement with Euronews SA,” the channel wrote on its Facebook page on January 9.
According to the statement, the channel’s new format will focus “on the constantly up-to-date, high-quality international content of Euronews adapted to the Georgian audience.”
The decision comes amid a broader struggle for financial survival among Georgian television channels not aligned with the government, including under growing political pressure on independent media. In spring 2025, Mtavari Arkhi, an opposition-leaning channel, went off air, citing financial problems and a management dispute.
Transparency International Georgia, a local anti-corruption watchdog, has recently warned that two other major pro-opposition broadcasters, TV Pirveli and Formula TV, also face the risk of closure amid financial difficulties, pointing to a “significant disproportion” and an “unequal distribution” in the television advertising market. The watchdog also said that 17 regional broadcasters halted operations in 2025 due to financial problems. These challenges also follow last year’s amendments to broadcasting laws that banned international funding for broadcasters.
Euronews Georgia’s decision also follows a recent controversy involving Giorgi Ramishvili, a businessman and founder of the Silk Road Group, a consortium that includes Silknet, which has operated Euronews Georgia.
Ramishvili was briefly arrested and later released on bail in July 2025, with police claiming at the time that he was detained after a firearm was found in his hand luggage at the departures terminal of Tbilisi International Airport. Ramishvili was previously regarded as a businessman close to circles within the ruling Georgian Dream party, including controversial former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, who is currently wanted on allegations of organizing high-profile contract killing.
The arrest came amid broader pressure by Georgian authorities on former allies and associates of Georgian Dream.
Also Read:
- 12/08/2025 – Pro-Government TV Channels Retain Lead in Ad Revenue in Q2 2025
- 04/07/2025 – Regulator Finds Violation in Channels Questioning GD Legitimacy, But Doesn’t Fine Them