Imedi TV owner Irakli Rukhadze gives extensive interview to Al Jazeera on station's history, 2007 raid, Georgia's media landscape

Irakli Rukhadze, the owner of Imedi TV, Georgia's largest television broadcaster, recently sat down for an extensive interview with Al Jazeera's English-language bureau.

While only a small portion of the interview was used in Al Jazeera's broadcast, Imedi TV has released the full version, offering a comprehensive look into the TV station's history, mission, and the broader media and political environment in Georgia.

During the interview, Rukhadze emphasised Imedi TV’s unparalleled scale within the Georgian media landscape.

“We have a 20-year history. We started approximately 21-22 years ago. Today, with minor changes, we are on average 3 to 4 times larger than our closest competitors and all other television companies that cover political developments and produce news”, Rukhadze said.

He further asserted Imedi's dominant viewership.

“If we summarise the television companies operating in Georgia that cover politics, I mean news, full-fledged television channels, in many cases, our audience size exceeds the combined ratings of other television companies. From this perspective, Imedi is invincible in the Georgian television space”, he continued.

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Rukhadze also recounted a pivotal moment in Imedi TV's history - the raid on the station in 2007 under the former United National Movement Government.

“It's important for you to know that in 2007, the former government shut down Imedi TV's broadcasting, and the channel was raided. This very building was raided, our equipment was destroyed, and for the next four years, the channel was under government control”, he noted.

A journalist's question during the interview touched upon the terms “foreign influence” and “deep state” used in Imedi TV's segments, with critics suggesting these terms echo Russian narratives. Rukhadze clarified that this terminology was not invented by the television company.

“I am sure that many people in Georgia use the same words. Imedi TV uses these words when conducting interviews or asking questions related to this issue, but this is not terminology invented by Imedi. You say it's part of the Russian playbook. I hope you listen to Donald Trump, or Elon Musk, or J.D. Vance, or generally the people around them. They use most of the same terminology, whether you like it or not”, Rukhadze added.

Responding to a question about recent protests, Rukhadze underscored the electoral success of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

“Georgian Dream is elected by the Georgian people. Since 2012, they have won the last 10 elections. There is one fundamental group against them, the former ruling party and its various reincarnations. Georgian Dream has won all elections, parliamentary, presidential, and local elections”, he noted.

The interview also delved into the Transparency Law and the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, a journalist who attacked a police officer. When asked about Amaglobeli, described by the journalist as a “journalist and a prisoner of conscience”, Rukhadze responded that “If Mzia Amaglobeli were a barber and had done the same, would you say that the Georgian Government is campaigning against barbers? Yes, she is a journalist, but she slapped a law enforcement officer, the head of a police unit, in broad daylight, for everyone to see. It doesn't matter if you are a journalist, a football player, or a barber - this is unacceptable. If you do this, then you are accountable to justice. I advise Ms. Amaglobeli to sue at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. If she believes that she is imprisoned because of her profession as a journalist, the court will consider her case on an expedited basis due to her imprisonment. A lot of money is being spent on her lawyers, so she should go ahead and sue in Strasbourg. However, she is not going”.

Rukhadze also expressed his view on how events in Georgia are covered abroad, noting that the coverage is often one-sided. He concluded by emphasising the country's progress, stating, “this is an excellent country; quite a lot has been done in many directions”.