The first debate among presidential candidates on the GPB’s Channel 1 was watched by approximately 57,000 urban voters, the second attracted on average less than 12,000.

Ratings data of political shows and news programs in the weeks running up to the presidential election shows that Rustavi 2’s current affairs programs attract the most viewers, Imedi and Maestro’s programs are competing on comparable ratings levels, both far ahead of the GPB.  

The GPB’s current crisis is also reflected in Channel 1’s ratings – few voters have turned on the public broadcaster’s Channel 1 for analysis and information ahead of the presidential elections, highlighting that the GPB urgently needs a turnaround in order to remain relevant and to be able to fulfill its public service mandate.

To which TV stations did people turn for news ahead of the presidential elections? Which shows are more popular than others, and thus might shape more peoples’ opinion and have a stronger role in influencing public debates?

To answer these questions, TI Georgia obtained TV ratings for current affairs programs from TV MR GE, the Nielsen audience measurement licensee. The company measures television ratings in a representative sample of urban households through electronic “peoplemeters”.

Using the interactive tool below, you can explore the data yourself by clicking ratings lines, or by using the filters on the right side to only look at certain channels, shows or dates.

The data depicted below is representative of Georgia’s voting age population (18 years and older) living in urban centers (cities with more than 45,000 inhabitants) and does not reflect the viewing habits of people living in other parts of the country, based on average minute ratings (AMR). No data was available for other channels with current affairs programs, such as TV3, Tabula TV and regional broadcasters.

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The G-MEDIA program is made possible by support from the American people through USAID. The content and opinions expressed herein are those of Transparency International Georgia and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Government, USAID or IREX.