**Georgian Public Broadcaster Fires Staff Over Dispute on Editorial Freedom**
The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) has fired a group of journalists and producers, including the team behind its long-running program “Real Space”. The decision comes after the team refused to accept reassignment to other departments within the network, citing concerns over editorial freedom.
Producer Keti Kapanadze, editor Tukha Kvinikadze, co-host Soso Katsitadze, and journalists Tamar Mshvenieradze and Omar Tsotsoria were all officially dismissed from GPB on May 13. According to the team, they were terminated for declining the management’s proposal to work on other platforms and perform duties unrelated to their previous roles on “Real Space” after the program was terminated.
This marks the latest development in a broader dispute between the editorial team and GPB management. In April, the broadcaster informed the team that “Real Space” would not be renewed beyond its current project term. This followed the dismissal of the show’s anchor, Nino Zautashvili, who had publicly criticized the GPB board.
**A Dispute Over Editorial Freedom**
The decision to fire the staff comes after months of internal tensions and allegations of political pressure. The team behind “Real Space” has been vocal about their concerns over editorial freedom and the effective shutdown of the show. In a joint statement released on May 5, they condemned the shutdown of the program and described the network’s reassignment offer as an attempt to coerce them into legitimizing the decision.
The statement read: “Let’s call a spade a spade… The current management of GPB shut down the 12-year-old program ‘Real Space’ and illegally dismissed its host, Nino Zautashvili.” They further stated that the broadcaster no longer offered them a platform to “bring truth to the viewers.”
**The Future of GPB**
As of this week, “Real Space” has been moved to the archived programs section on GPB’s website. The names of dismissed staff have been removed from the show’s description. Only two employees currently on maternity leave whose contracts remain active are still listed.
The dispute follows months of internal tensions and allegations of political pressure, particularly amidst the pro-democracy and pro-EU rallies. Demonstrators have gathered daily for several months near the GPB, demanding objective coverage of developments in the country.
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