Nino Shubladze, a political talk show host and head of the news service at the pro-government Rustavi 2 TV channel, has been appointed its new director general, replacing Bakur Bakuradze, who will continue as artistic director, the channel announced on May 1.
“We are confident that with our colleague and the channel’s main face, with whom each of us has worked for decades, Rustavi 2 will become even more successful and higher-rated,” TV host Davit Kakulia said at the start of the May 1, 9 p.m. Kurieri news program.
Bakur Bakuradze, who continues as artistic director, had been the channel’s general director since July 2025, when he replaced Vako Avaliani, who then continued in the diplomatic service.
Nino Shubladze had worked at Rustavi 2 in various roles over the years, including as a correspondent, head of the news service, and deputy director general in the 2000s, when the now pro–Georgian Dream channel was aligned with the then United National Movement government. She left the channel in 2014, later serving as an adviser to the health minister, and until 2019 worked in Georgian Dream’s public relations service. She returned to the channel in 2019, leading the news service.
Rustavi 2 underwent a major shift in 2019 when businessman Kibar Khalvashi took over the station after a lengthy legal battle that started in 2015. The European Court of Human Rights upheld Khalvashi’s ownership claims, leading to the removal of then-director Nika Gvaramia and his replacement by Khalvashi’s lawyer, Paata Salia.
The takeover prompted a wave of resignations and dismissals among journalists in August. The main news program was suspended for several weeks, with news broadcasting resuming in late September 2019.
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