Mze TV
Mze TV was a Georgian television channel that evolved from a general and politically oriented broadcaster into an entertainment-focused station before ceasing operations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Mze TV, whose name means “Sun” in Georgian, was a Georgian television channel launched in 2003 by Vano Chkhartishvili, a businessman and politician who served in the Georgian Parliament and was economy minister under President Eduard Shevardnadze. The station entered the market during a politically consequential period following Georgia’s Rose Revolution and quickly became one of the country’s prominent broadcasters. By 2004, Mze carried a broad schedule and was known in particular for political discussion programming. Its editorial profile made it part of wider debates about the independence of Georgian television and the relationship between broadcasters, political power, and business ownership. Several of its political programmes attracted attention from opposition politicians, civil-society groups, press-freedom organisations, and international observers. Ownership changed substantially during the channel’s early years. In 2004, Georgian press reports said that Chkhartishvili transferred a significant stake to David Bezhuashvili, a parliamentarian associated with President Mikheil Saakashvili’s political circle. In January 2006, reports stated that Rustavi 2 acquired 78 percent of Mze, while the remaining 22 percent was held by Bezhuashvili through SakCementi. The transaction placed Mze within the ownership orbit of another major Georgian television company and was associated with a planned shift toward entertainment programming. Mze’s political role diminished as programmes were cancelled or withdrawn. Its talk show “On the Edge of Choice” was removed from the schedule in July 2005 after a period in which the programme had covered contentious political issues and attracted criticism from a senior government figure. Earlier, the station’s “Night Mzera” programme had also been cancelled. The government and broadcaster presented the changes as programming or scheduling decisions, while opposition figures and media-watch organisations argued that political pressure could have influenced the station’s editorial output. By 2008, Mze announced that it would stop broadcasting news as part of a reorganisation. The change completed the station’s transition away from political and news programming toward entertainment. International and Georgian observers subsequently cited Mze, alongside Rustavi 2 and Imedi, in discussions about the concentration of television ownership and the perceived pro-government orientation of major broadcasters in Georgia during the period. The available reference material does not establish a precise closure date, but describes Mze in the past tense and records its conversion into an entertainment channel. The official website remains associated with the brand, although the channel’s current operating status is not independently confirmed in the supplied sources. Mze is therefore best understood as a historical Georgian television brand whose identity was shaped by its early political programming, ownership transfers, and later withdrawal from news broadcasting.
History
Mze TV was established in Georgia in 2003 by Vano Chkhartishvili, a businessman and political figure who had served in the national parliament and as economy minister. The station launched during a period of major political change in Georgia, when television had an important role in political communication and public debate. Within its first years, Mze developed into a general-interest broadcaster. Its schedule included entertainment and other television content, but political discussion was a particularly visible part of its identity. By 2004, the station was regarded as one of Georgia’s leading channels and carried popular talk shows that examined government policy and controversial public issues. The channel’s ownership and political associations became increasingly contested. In July 2004, the Georgian newspaper Rezonansi reported that Chkhartishvili had sold shares to David Bezhuashvili, a fellow member of parliament and ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili. Later reporting described the transferred stake as 50 percent. The reports connected the transaction with Chkhartishvili’s deteriorating relationship with the government, although the supplied material does not independently establish the motives behind the sale. Mze’s editorial independence became a recurring subject of criticism. In early 2004, the channel cancelled the political programme Night Mzera, hosted by Inga Grigolia. The International Federation for Human Rights later cited the cancellation in an open letter concerning restrictions on Georgian media. The organisation disputed the broadcaster’s suggestion that the programme’s removal was temporary and noted that the presenter had left the channel. In July 2005, Mze presenter Irakli Imnaishvili announced that On the Edge of Choice would be broadcast for the final time. The programme’s withdrawal followed criticism of Mze’s coverage of unrest in Tbilisi by influential government parliamentarian Giga Bokeria. Opposition politicians interpreted the sequence of events as evidence of pressure on independent media, whereas government representatives denied interference and Mze attributed the decision to planned schedule changes. Reports also noted that the programme had previously been suspended after guests failed to support the official account of the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. The question of political influence was also recorded by external observers. The U.S. Department of State’s 2005 human-rights report referred to the cancellation of Mze’s political programme and stated that the government denied involvement. Its 2007 report said that observers believed some government members directed pro-government stations, including Mze and Rustavi 2, to provide favourable coverage. Freedom House and Georgian civil-society organisations likewise discussed the channel in the context of declining media pluralism. These assessments are observations and allegations recorded by the cited organisations, not established findings that prove a particular government instruction caused each programming decision. Ownership shifted again in January 2006, when reports said Rustavi 2 acquired 78 percent of Mze. The remaining 22 percent was reportedly held by Bezhuashvili through SakCementi. The deal was accompanied by the expectation that Mze would become an entertainment channel. This represented a strategic change from the station’s earlier role as a broadcaster with visible political programming. In 2008, Mze announced that it would stop carrying news programmes as part of a reorganisation. The station consequently became associated primarily with entertainment rather than news or political debate. Later press-freedom commentary placed Mze among the Georgian channels whose ownership and editorial lines were seen as closely connected to government-aligned business and political interests. The supplied sources do not provide a definitive date for the cessation of Mze’s broadcasting. The Wikipedia subject describes it as a former Georgian television channel, and the historical record indicates that the brand’s original broadcasting operation is no longer active. Vano Chkhartishvili later lived in London, founded another television company called Mzera, and announced a campaign to reclaim Mze; the outcome of that campaign is not established in the supplied material.
- 2008
News programming is discontinued
[1]Mze announces that it will cease broadcasting news programmes during a reorganisation.
- 2006
Rustavi 2 takes a controlling stake
[1]Rustavi 2 is reported to acquire 78 percent of Mze, with the channel expected to focus on entertainment.
- 2005
On the Edge of Choice is withdrawn
[1]Mze removes a prominent political talk show after a period of political controversy surrounding its coverage.
- 2004
Mze gains national prominence
[1]The channel is described as one of Georgia’s leading broadcasters and becomes known for political talk programming.
- 2004
Reported sale of a major stake
[1]Press reports say Chkhartishvili sold a substantial shareholding to David Bezhuashvili.
- 2003
Mze TV is launched
[1]Vano Chkhartishvili launches Mze TV in Georgia.
Products and positioning
A Georgian national television channel that initially combined general programming with prominent political discussion and later repositioned itself as an entertainment-focused broadcaster.
Television channel · 2003
General television broadcasting
Mze initially operated as a general-interest Georgian television channel. Its schedule combined entertainment and other broadcast content with news and political discussion, making it a visible part of the country’s national television landscape during the 2000s.
Broadcast programming
Political talk programming
Political discussion was a defining part of Mze’s early identity. The station carried programmes that examined current affairs and government policy, including Night Mzera and On the Edge of Choice. Their cancellation later became part of wider press-freedom debates in Georgia.
Broadcast programming · 2006
Entertainment programming
Following ownership changes and a reported reorganisation, Mze shifted toward an entertainment-oriented schedule. In 2008 it announced that news programming would end, marking the channel’s move away from its earlier news and political profile.
Controversies
2007
Concerns about pro-government television coverage
The U.S. Department of State reported that observers believed government members directed stations including Mze and Rustavi 2 to provide favourable coverage. This was part of broader concerns about media pluralism and political influence in Georgia.
2005
Controversy over the removal of On the Edge of Choice
Opposition politicians and observers suggested that the removal of the programme followed government criticism of Mze’s reporting. Government representatives denied interference, and Mze attributed the decision to schedule changes.
2004
Cancellation of Night Mzera and media-independence concerns
The cancellation of the political talk show Night Mzera was cited by the International Federation for Human Rights in its criticism of restrictions affecting Georgian media. The broadcaster described the change as temporary, while the organisation questioned that explanation.
Marketing campaigns
- Campaign to reclaim Mze
Georgia
After leaving the original Mze ownership structure, Vano Chkhartishvili later announced a campaign to reclaim the Mze brand.
Outcome. The supplied sources do not establish whether the campaign succeeded.
Brand decisions
2008
Mze ends news broadcastingStrategyBackground
The channel announced a reorganisation after its political and news output had become the subject of sustained public scrutiny.
Action taken
Mze announced that it would stop broadcasting news programmes and focus on entertainment content.
Aftermath
The decision further reduced Mze’s role as a political broadcaster and marked its transition toward an entertainment-oriented identity.
2006
Rustavi 2 acquires a controlling interestM&ABackground
Reports described a change in Mze’s ownership after earlier shares had reportedly passed from founder Vano Chkhartishvili to David Bezhuashvili.
Action taken
Rustavi 2 reportedly purchased 78 percent of Mze, while 22 percent remained with Bezhuashvili through SakCementi.
Aftermath
The transaction was associated with a plan to turn Mze into an entertainment channel.
Recent events
- 2008
Mze announces the end of news broadcasting[1]
Product generation
Mze says it will discontinue news programmes as part of a reorganisation and move toward an entertainment-oriented schedule.
- 2006
Rustavi 2 reported to acquire 78 percent of Mze[1]
M&A
Reports state that Rustavi 2 acquired a controlling stake in Mze, with the remaining shares retained by David Bezhuashvili through SakCementi.
- 2004
Mze becomes a leading Georgian broadcaster[1]
Other
The channel is described as one of Georgia’s leading broadcasters, carrying varied programming including popular political talk shows.
- 2004
Reports of a major transfer of Mze shares[1]
M&A
Georgian press reports say Vano Chkhartishvili sold a substantial stake in Mze to parliamentarian David Bezhuashvili.
- 2003
Mze launches as a Georgian television channel[1]
Product launch
Mze TV begins broadcasting in Georgia under founder Vano Chkhartishvili.
Sources4 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mze-tv · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled