Formula TV, Georgia’s major opposition-leaning channel, announced on May 4 that its broadcast had been temporarily suspended for part of its audience due to an outstanding debt to Stereo Plus, an operator that distributes the channel’s free-to-air signal via a digital multiplex to viewers without cable television.
The channel said it is working to raise the necessary funds, and shared bank account details for those willing to donate.
Earlier, in March, TV Pirveli, another major pro-opposition channel, also reported its satellite broadcasting was halted due to unpaid fees. The shutdown in TV Pirveli’s case mainly affected viewers in regions and remote areas, where online streaming and on pay TV platforms were less available.
The issues come as Georgian broadcasters face financial hurdles amid tightened laws, including a ban on foreign funding introduced through amendments to the Law on Broadcasting last April.
In December, Transparency International-Georgia, a local watchdog group, reported that “17 regional broadcasters” halted operations in 2025 due to financial difficulties. The watchdog then warned that other major critical broadcasters, Formula TV and TV Pirveli, are also facing financial difficulties and the “risk of closure.”
Also Read:
