Day: February 19, 2026

US President Donald Trump prepares to host the first formal meeting of his newly created “Board of Peace” in Washington, since its first establishment, back in January, in Davos. The body is expected to unveil the outlines of a Gaza reconstruction plan alongside details of a UN-authorised international stabilisation force. Originally framed as a mechanism to help design post-war governance in Gaza, the Board’s charter goes further, calling for a “more nimble and effective international peace-building body.”

Azerbaijani & Armenian civil society met in Yerevan under the #PeaceBridge initiative.

The crossing of a newly delimited border section signals the peace process moving from declarations to practical steps.

#Azerbaijan #Armenia #PeaceProcess #SouthCaucasus #Normalization

— News.Az (@news_az) Feb 19, 2026

Four pro-government TV channels accounted for 78.5% of the advertising revenue in 2025, with Imedi TV, the main pro-Georgian Dream broadcaster, receiving the largest share of GEL 45 million (around USD 16.8 million), or 45.4% of the total, according to calculations by Mediachecker, an independent media watchdog, based on official data.

In 2025, TV broadcasters in Georgia received GEL 99.2 million (around USD 37 million) in advertising revenue, 43% more than the previous year.

Imedi TV, in first place, was followed by other pro-government channels, including Rustavi 2 with GEL 18.5 million (around USD 7 million), PosTV with GEL 7.6 million (around USD 2.8 million), and GDS with GEL 6.6 million (around USD 2.5 million).

Meanwhile, two major critical broadcasters – TV Pirveli and Formula TV – generated GEL 5.8 million (around USD 2.1 million) and GEL 4.7 million (around USD 1.8 million), respectively.

The stark difference between pro-government and government-critical channels’ advertising revenues comes at a time when broadcasters in Georgia are banned from receiving foreign funding, except for commercial transactions, under the changes to the Broadcasting Law adopted in 2025.

Transparency International – Georgia, a local anti-corruption watchdog, warned in December 2025 that the two critical channels were facing the risk of closure due to financial difficulties.

Also Read:

• 17/02/2026 – Kavkasia TV Says It Faces Proceedings from Regulator Over Donation from U.S.
• 16/01/2026 – Regulator Warns Formula TV Over Alleged UNM Funding