Former hosts sue Georgian Public Broadcaster over contract termination

Two former hosts of Georgia’s Public Broadcaster (GPB), Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, have filed a lawsuit against the broadcaster in Tbilisi City Court, challenging the termination of their contracts. The legal action comes after a decision by GPB’s General Director, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, to end their employment on April 11.

The dispute centers around allegations that Zautashvili, known for her work on the program Real Space, and Ivanov-Chikovani, alongside several other employees, had openly criticized the broadcaster’s operations. Management at GPB argued that such criticism constituted a breach of contractual obligations.

In addition to the dismissal of Zautashvili and Ivanov-Chikovani, GPB imposed disciplinary sanctions on four other employees, including Tamar Mshvenieradze, a correspondent for Real Space, Ioseb Katsitadze, a host of the same program, Kakhaber Melikidze, director of the remote control and combined sports channel, and Irma Chubinidze, director of branding and promotion.

Further disciplinary measures followed on April 17, affecting other team members from Real Space and Shabat-Kviris Show, including Tukha Kvinikadze, Tamar Chincharauli, Ana Abakelia, and Givi (Giga) Kitia.

The GPB leadership has cited reputational damage as a key factor in the dismissals, arguing that the public criticism undermined the broadcaster’s credibility. However, critics have pointed to a perceived double standard, noting that Giorgi Gvimradze, who faced controversy last year after allegedly insulting a citizen, continued to co-host the GPB podcast 41st Parallel with Vasil Maghlaperidze.