Opposition-leaning broadcaster TV Kavkasia says it is facing a state inquiry after allegedly receiving a donation from a private individual based in the United States.
In a letter dated 16 February, Georgia’s Georgian National Communications Commission (ComCom) informed the channel that it had received a donation from an individual in the US during the fourth quarter of 2025. The letter, later published on Facebook by the station’s director Nino Jangirashvili, requests “detailed information on the services provided and the above-mentioned income, along with the relevant documents.”
The regulator reportedly asked for documentation including the contract letter, invoice, and other related materials.
The inquiry is based on a 2025 legislative amendment adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which significantly restricts broadcasters from receiving funding from a “foreign power.” The amendment defines a foreign power as including a subject of a foreign government, a non-citizen of Georgia, a legal entity not established under Georgian law, or an organisation created under foreign legislation.
Responding publicly, Jangirashvili said she does not know the identity of the donor. “I really don’t know who this generous person is. Their name is Georgian. They might even have dual citizenship. I don’t know where I should investigate,” she wrote.
She questioned how to respond to the Commission’s demands, asking what “service” the channel was supposed to have provided to the donor or what invoice it could produce. “We probably paid the electricity bill or covered salaries […] What else could we have done with this money?” she wrote, suggesting the funds were used for routine operational expenses.
In her view, the inquiry reflects a broader effort to label Georgians living abroad as a “foreign power.” She warned that transfers from emigrants could also become subject to what she described as increased state pressure.
Jangirashvili emphasized that TV Kavkasia’s bank account details and donation pledges are publicly available. “People who we don’t know at all are transferring us money and it touches my heart deeply,” she added.
Media outlet OC Media has reportedly contacted the Communications Commission for comment. The Commission has not yet publicly elaborated on the case.
The development comes amid ongoing debate in Georgia over media regulation and foreign funding, particularly following recent legislative changes affecting civil society organizations and broadcasters.
Image source: Publika.ge
