Imedi TV is a firmly pro-government media outlet that consistently ranks as a leader in television ratings. Its editorial policy has shifted in recent years in alignment with the political messages of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the government’s foreign policy rhetoric became increasingly anti-Western, Imedi TV also began to feature more anti-Western narratives, as well as instances of disinformation and manipulation.
Imedi TV has been actively involved in campaigns aimed at discrediting government opponents, often spreading disinformation and manipulative content that aligns with the rhetoric of pro-Kremlin actors. To influence pro-Western segments of the electorate, the channel frequently manipulates international rankings, promoting the idea that Georgia outperforms several EU and NATO member states. At the same time, echoing the government’s position, Imedi TV presents criticism from Western institutions regarding democratic backsliding in Georgia as unfair and undeserved. It argues that the West applies double standards toward Georgia because the country refused to open a second front against Russia alongside Ukraine. As an example of these so-called double standards, the channel often cites the EU’s initial decision not to grant Georgia candidate status.
Even the channel’s current owner, businessman Irakli Rukhadze, has publicly questioned Euro-integration and the rationale for enshrining it in the Constitution, expressing skepticism toward the EU.
Irakli Rukhadze is a member of the Supervisory Board of Liberty Bank JSC and a director at Hunnewell Partners. In 2025, he was included in a list published by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of individuals proposed for sanctions under the MEGOBARI Act, should the legislation be passed. Rukhadze is listed under the category of “propagandists.”
An investigative piece by British journalist Will Neal in Byline Times, which showed connections between Rukhadze and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, was followed by a discrediting campaign targeting the journalist. In May, Neal, who had been living in Georgia since 2022, was denied entry into the country without explanation.
In recent years, multiple journalists have left Imedi TV, citing the channel’s editorial stance and its support for the so-called “Transparency of Foreign Influence” law as reasons for their departure.
Imedi TV was founded on December 24, 2001, and began broadcasting on March 15, 2003. The channel was established by Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili, held executive positions at various Russian companies in the 1990s (LogoVAZ, Russia’s largest automobile dealer), as well as Russian TV-6 and ORTB channels. In 2008, Badri Patarkatsishvili ran for president in Georgia.
Imedi’s editorial policy has shifted over the years depending on its ownership. During the rule of the United National Movement, in November 2007, riot police raided and took it off air. In 2009, the company was taken over by businessmen close to President Mikheil Saakashvili. After the “Georgian Dream” came to power in the 2012 parliamentary elections, ownership of the channel was returned to the Patarkatsishvili family. This was the beginning of a gradual shift in the channel’s editorial policy.
Today, Imedi TV remains the highest-rated television station in Georgia. Since 2016, it has been part of a single media holding group alongside Maestro and GDS. On Facebook, Imedi manages three pages: TV Imedi, Radio Imedi, and IMEDINEWS. Its main page (TV Imedi) has 1.1 million followers. Both TV Imedi and Radio Imedi also have a presence on Instagram, and the broadcaster actively uses TikTok as well.
