While the Communications Commission, Georgia’s regulatory body, is accusing community broadcasters and TV Formula of violating the law for receiving funding from foreign powers, the Chinese Embassy in Georgia continues to finance the program “Chinese Panorama” aired on TV Obiektivi.

Obiektivi, which received funding from the Chinese Embassy for airing the program in the second quarter, records identical income in the fourth quarter as well. According to the Communications Commission’s information-analytical portal, in the fourth quarter of 2025, TV Obiektivi’s total revenue amounted to GEL 25,305, of which GEL 12,605 was a donation from its owner, Irakli Tsilikishvili, and GEL 12,700 was income received from the Chinese Embassy.

On the information-analytical portal, under the category “Funding above GEL 7,000,” Obiektivi lists program placement and sponsorship next to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China; however, in the category describing sources of funding, only sponsorship is indicated.

Under amendments to the Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting,” effective from 1 April 2025, broadcasters are prohibited from receiving funding from foreign powers, except in cases of commercial advertising, teleshopping, sponsorship, and product (goods/services) placement within programs. According to these amendments, it is prohibited for a foreign power to purchase a broadcaster’s services and/or directly or indirectly finance or co-finance the preparation or airing of a program. 

According to Irakli Tsilikishvili, Chair of Obiektivi’s Board, the income received from the Chinese Embassy is solely sponsorship funding, and the inclusion of the “program placement” category may be an accountant’s mistake. He states that the Chinese Embassy sponsors the program “Chinese Panorama,” which is a legally permitted exception.

However, under the category “Funding above GEL 7,000,” Obiektivi also listed program placement next to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the second quarter of 2025 as well - at a time when receiving foreign funding was already prohibited for broadcasters.

The Media Development Foundation addressed the Communications Commission with a question as to whether it has begun examining the fact of Obiektivi receiving funding from a foreign power and, consequently, violating the Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting,” or whether it plans to respond to the case. In its reply, the regulator stated that, based on the forms submitted by the broadcaster, the Communications Commission has already requested information from the broadcaster regarding this issue.

In 2025, a total of 31 recordings of “Chinese Panorama” are available on Obiektivi’s YouTube channel - 10 from the fourth quarter and 6 from the second quarter.

The program cycle “Chinese Panorama” runs for approximately 50 minutes and is broadcast in a host-and-guest format against the backdrop of the Chinese flag and map. Its main host is Badri Nachkebia, with Boris Manzhukov hosting periodically.

After the Media Development Foundation published its material on funding received from the Chinese Embassy, host Badri Nachkebia commented on the topic during the 14 October 2025 broadcast:

“It leaked in the press that the Chinese Embassy is somehow providing us with certain assistance. You know what this is? When the facts about the basic financial source were presented, the first reaction was probably laughter, because the amount discussed was what some NGOs today pay to a single employee for one month. Of course, certain structures - whether it’s an embassy or, say, a private individual - may symbolically help us with something, but this is absolutely a drop in the ocean. This program is made free of charge, on our initiative, and it practically has no financial interest at all.”

The program cycle portrays China’s economy and politics, as well as its role in global events, in a positive light. On 7 October 2025, the program aired in a different format. According to the host, the broadcast was dedicated to China’s victory over Japanese militarists, and a large portion of the program, 36 minutes, was devoted to a documentary film.

According to the Communications Commission’s information-analytical portal, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China first appeared among broadcasters’ funding sources in 2023, with its funding to the media holding Georgian Times. In the second quarter of 2024, the Chinese Embassy placed advertising worth GEL 15,630 on Obiektivi, and in the fourth quarter of the same year - GEL 12,000. On the Communications Commission’s portal, in the first and third quarters of 2025, the Chinese Embassy is not listed among Obiektivi’s funding sources, although programs dated to this period are uploaded to the broadcaster’s YouTube channel.

According to decisions published on the Communications Commission’s website, from 1 June 2025, the regulator reviewed two cases related to Obiektivi’s activities; however, neither concerned the placement of programs funded by foreign sources. At the same time, the Commission warned television and radio broadcasters for receiving Western income.

On 22 January, the regulator issued a written warning to “Journalists’ Union Voice of the People,” which operates as community radio “Marneuli,” for violating the Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting,” specifically for receiving funding from a foreign power. According to the regulator, in the third quarter of 2025, it received GEL 32,541.60 in income from a U.S.-based legal entity, the National Endowment for Democracy, within the framework of a grant project, which did not fall under the exceptions defined in Article 66¹, Paragraph 11 of the Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting,” such as commercial advertising, teleshopping, sponsorship, or product placement.

Earlier, on 9 October, for the same reason, the Communications Commission issued written warnings to television broadcasters Formula TV and Formula Multimedia, as well as radio broadcasters Journalists’ Union Voice of the People, Radio-TV Nori, and Systema Gamma, instructing them to cease receiving funding from foreign powers.

In the second quarter of 2025, Formula Multimedia LLC received GEL 1,336,675 from a Cyprus-registered legal entity, INFINITY CV GROUP CY LTD. During the same period, Formula received GEL 463,000 from Formula Multimedia. 

In the regulator’s statement, the sources of income for radio stations are not specified; however, according to data published on the Communications Commission’s information-analytical portal, in the second quarter of 2025, Radio Norma received funding from Belgium (European Endowment for Democracy) and Denmark (International Media Support), Journalists’ Union Voice of the People received funding from Germany (Deutsche Welle), and Systema Gamma received funding in the third quarter from France (World Media of France).

Archive: https://archive.ph/KJHya

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