 | |
| Country |  Georgia |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Tbilisi |
| Programming | |
| Languages | Georgian,English |
| Picture format | 16:9HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Kibar Khalvashi (2019-) |
| Key people | CEO:Bakur Bakuradze |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 June 1994 |
| Founder | Erosi Kitsmarishvili David Dvali Jarji Akimidze |
| Links | |
| Website | www.Rustavi2.ge |
Rustavi 2 (Georgian:რუსთავი 2,romanized:rustavi 2, "Rustavi ori") is aGeorgianfree-to-air television channel based inTbilisi, that was founded in 1994 in the town ofRustavi (hence its name).
It is an associate member of theEuropean Broadcasting Union. Its news service has bureaus and regional reporters in major Georgian cities (Kutaisi,Batumi,Gori,Poti,Zugdidi), as well as the permanent correspondents inWashington D.C.,Brussels andMoscow. The independence of the channel was questioned recently, with many suggesting that it was biased in favor of the former ruling partyUNM,[1][2][3][4][5][6] and recently in favor of the current ruling partyGeorgian Dream.
It was formed in 1994 and had been in a strong opposition toEduard Shevardnadze’s government since then. The channel shut down due to allegedly losing its license a year later. TheGeorgian authorities made several attempts to shut R2 down.Giorgi Sanaia, Georgia’s most popular TV journalist, who worked for R2, was murdered in July 2001. It has been considered by many as a political murder related to his programme "Night Courier" and investigations of allegations of official corruption. In October 2001, the security police raid on the R2 office resulted in public anger and subsequent mass street demonstrations against the government's pressure on independent media forcedEduard Shevardnadze to fire his entire cabinet. On 15 March 2003, to coincide with the launch of its sister channelImedi TV, Rustavi 2 introduced a new logo which consists of a zig-zagged abstract 2-numeral that is coloured bronze and are made up of gradient effects. Rustavi 2 was the main media source used as a tribune by the opposition leaders during theRose Revolution in November 2003. On 25 December 2009, to celebrate its 15th anniversary, Rustavi 2 adopted a new logo during its Christmas special.
On 14 December 2012,Nika Gvaramia was appointed as the general director of the channel. On 18 July 2019, he was replaced byPaata Salia, who is the lawyer ofKibar Khalvashi, current owner of the channel.
On 17 July 2025,Bakur Bakuradze became new general director.
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The news programmeCourier has aired since the foundation of Rustavi 2 and has become one of the most successful news programs inGeorgia.[citation needed]
The daytime news was anchored byAna Kinkladze,Keti Kvachantiradze andNatia Goksadze.Diana Jojua andZaal Udumashvili anchored the evening news at 18:00 and 21:00, including sports withDimitri Oboladze.David Kikalishvili presents "P.S." every Sunday at 21:00.
From 2006 new television season Rustavi 2 airs Business Courier. The program offers in-depth reporting and critical analysis of major business issues today with an emphasis on current events, business development, market outlooks, and emerging opportunities.
P.S. is a weekly analytical and educational summarizing program, which focuses on politics, economics and social problems; the project also covers topical cultural issues.P.S. often reports on various international events related toGeorgia. The program is anchored byGiorgi Gabunia.
 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2009) |
Rustavi 2 was originally owned byErosi Kitsmarishvili,David Dvali,Jarji Akimidze andNika Tabatadze. In July 2004, 90% of the company's shares were bought by theBatumi-based businessmanKibar Khalvashi, who was forced by then presidentMikheil Saakashvili to sell the company, in January 2006, to David Bezhuashvili, member of theParliament of Georgia and brother ofGeorgia's Foreign MinisterGela Bezhuashvili. In mid-2006 Rustavi 2, the television companyMze TV and radio stationPirveli Stereo merged into a holding which is currently owned by theGeorgian Industrial Group (GIG) and GeoMedia Group. GIG, which owns a 45% share of both stations, is a large company with diversified business interests ranging from coal mining and energy to travel. Davit Bezhuashvili, is a founding member of the group. The GeoMedia group is a relatively obscure company registered in theMarshall Islands.[7]
On 2 March 2017, theSupreme Court of Georgia declared that the owners of the company wereKibar Khalvashi (60% shares) and Panorama Ltd. (40% shares). On 3 March the company submitted an appeal to theEuropean Court of Human Rights, which, in its turn, on 4 March 2017 suspended the Supreme Court decision until 8 March and requested additional documentation.[8] On 18 July 2019, the European Court of Human Rights found no violation by the Georgian courts in the Rustavi 2 case which lifted the suspension mechanism, thus returning the company to its owner, Kibar Khalvashi.[9]
From February 2012 – August 2014, theNational Democratic Institute conducted polls which included a question about which media organizations represented the interest of which political factions. A plurality of respondents in each case believed that Rustavi 2 represented theUnited National Movement (or, in the case of the February 2012 poll, the government, which was at the time controlled by the UNM). The results of the polls which asked this question is summarized below.[10]
| Date | Represents UNM | Neither/None | Don't Know | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2012 | 69% (Government) | 8% | 21% | 2% |
| November 2012 | 58% | 13% | 25% | 4% |
| June 2013 | 47% | 15% | 32% | 6% |
| September 2013 | 47% | 24% | 24% | 4% |
| November 2013 | 39% | 29% | 26% | 6% |
| April 2014 | 46% | 22% | 28% | 4% |
| August 2014 | 42% | 20% | 35% | 3% |
According to Rustavi 2 statement on Self-regulation, an interested person who believes that "Rustavi 2" has violated any ethical standards established by the "Code of Conduct of Broadcasters" and his rights, can appeal to the broadcaster with a complaint and demand a response.[11]
| Television stations inGeorgia | |
|---|---|
| Free to air | |
| Subscription television | |
| Defunct channels | |