“Real Space” team takes Public Broadcaster to court over show’s cancellation

The editorial team of the television program “Real Space” is suing Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, demanding the show’s reinstatement after its abrupt closure. Correspondent Tamar Mshvenieradze announced on social media that they had filed a lawsuit today “against the illegal termination of ‘Real Space’ on 1tv.ge,” clarifying that the complaint is not so much “against the broadcaster, but for the broadcaster.”

The legal action comes after the show’s hosts, Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, were dismissed on April 11. Both journalists have criticized the management’s decisions and editorial policies, alleging political interference at the station.

Zautashvili recounted how she was informed of her termination by Public Broadcaster director Tinatin Berdzenishvili and other senior managers, saying she had spent forty years working there. “They mentioned a disciplinary investigation as the reason for my dismissal, but I was never shown any of its results,” Zautashvili said, vowing to challenge the decision in court.

“Real Space” was officially taken off the air on April 30, and other staff members were offered new roles in other programs across the channel. On May 5, however, the editorial team rejected the management’s offer, refusing to continue working elsewhere within the broadcaster after the show’s closure.