Georgia

[GE] National regulator issues warning to broadcasters

IRIS 2025-9:1/9

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 9 October 2025, the Communications Commission (ComCom), the national media regulator of Georgia, reported that it had issued a written warning to the television broadcasters Formula and Formula Multimedia for violating the Law on Broadcasting and ordered them to cease receiving funding from a foreign legal entity.

ComCom found that, in the second quarter of 2025, Formula Multimedia LLC had received 1 336 675 Georgian lari (GEL), or about €425 000, from a legal entity registered in Cyprus, Infinity CV Group CY Ltd. In turn, Formula Multimedia had paid GEL 463 000 (€147 000) to the Formula news outlet during the same period, .

In its statement, ComCom reported that, from the statistical reporting forms submitted to it by Formula and Formula Multimedia, it was clear that the sum received by Formula from Formula Multimedia was a loan. The payment received by Formula Multimedia from Infinity CV Group CY Ltd. also represented a loan. The forms also showed that Formula Multimedia had no significant income apart from the funds it received from this foreign legal entity.

On 1 April 2025, the amendments to the Law on Broadcasting entered into force (see IRIS 2025-3:1/7). In particular, they ban broadcasters from receiving direct or indirect funding from foreign entities with the exception of income from commercials (but not social advertising), teleshopping, sponsorship or product placement. Foreign entities are also forbidden from funding the preparation or transmission of broadcasts in Georgia.

Given that the broadcasters received the foreign funding after the amendment had entered into force, the Communications Commission warned Formula and Formula Multimedia in writing and ordered them to cease receiving funding from Infinity CV Group CY Ltd.

Earlier this year, ComCom also found Formula, as well as TV Pirveli, in violation of the Law on Broadcasting. On that occasion also, it did not fine the companies involved. The broadcasters had used terms alleging that the current authorities, various officials and institutions were illegitimate and politically biased, such as “illegitimate parliament,” “a regime”, “so-called chairman of the parliament,” “oligarch's deputy,” “regime's city court,” “regime representative,” etc.

 


References


  • კოალიცია: მოვუწოდებთ ComCom-ს, იყოს დამოუკიდებელი, თავისუფალი სიტყვის დამცველი
  • https://formulanews.ge/News/127172
  • ComCom finds Formula and TV Pirveli in violation of law, but does not fine them
  • https://formulanews.ge/News/127172

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This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.