Day: January 16, 2026

The Communications Commission (ComCom), Georgia’s state media regulator, issued a written warning to Formula Multimedia, linked to critical broadcaster Formula TV, for what it said was receiving funding from the United National Movement (UNM), an opposition political party.

In a January 15 statement, ComCom said its “monitoring” revealed that Formula received GEL 540,000 (about USD 200,400) in the third quarter of 2025 from UNM, clarifying that political party funding for broadcasters is prohibited.

Citing Georgia’s Law on Broadcasting, ComCom said, “A political party may not finance broadcasters or procure their services, or directly or indirectly finance or co-finance the production and broadcast of programs, except in cases defined by this law.”

“Since Formula Multimedia has not been sanctioned for a similar violation in the past year, the Communications Commission issued a written warning to the broadcaster,” the statement concluded.

The warning comes amid authorities’ crackdown on independent media in Georgia, including through legislative amendments adopted in 2025 that prohibited foreign funding for broadcasters and expanded ComCom’s powers to regulate broadcast content.

Transparency International Georgia, a local corruption watchdog, reported in December 2025 on the “significant disproportion” in ad revenues favoring pro-government channels. The watchdog warned that the country’s two leading critical broadcasters, Formula and TV Pirveli, “face the risk of closure” amid financial difficulties.

In October 2025, ComCom also issued a written warnings to Formula and several other broadcasters for allegedly receiving foreign funding.

Also Read:

• 04/07/2025 – Regulator Finds Violation in Channels Questioning GD Legitimacy, But Doesn’t Fine Them
• 30/06/2025 – Two Broadcasters Allege Political Motives Behind Levied Accounts
• 28/04/2025 – Critical Mtavari TV to Shut Down as Journalists Announce End of Broadcast

In 2026, the Caucasus’ dynamics will be characterised by the shift from “frozen conflicts” to a high-stakes competition over trade corridors.

One of the more extraordinary aspects of this turbulent start to 2026 has been the near silence over American adventurism from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is a man never previously shy to accuse the US of being imperialist, decadent, deceitful or hypocritical, and his restraint is telling. It should concern both Ukraine and Europe.