First Channel
Product brand
UnclaimedFirst Channel, also known as 1TV, is Georgia's principal public television channel.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
First Channel, commonly branded as 1TV and known in Georgian as პირველი არხი, is a Georgian public television channel owned and operated by Georgian Public Broadcaster. Its broadcasts began on 30 December 1956 during the Soviet period, initially operating three days a week before expanding to six days by 1960. The channel became the principal Georgian-language television service in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic and developed into a nationwide broadcaster. A major technical expansion took place in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1972, an antenna and specialized television and radio transmission equipment were installed on Mount Mtatsminda. This infrastructure enabled approximately 600,000 families in the Georgian SSR to receive republican television programming. By 1981, the channel's coverage had reportedly reached 94 percent of the population of the Georgian SSR, giving it a central role in mass communication, public information and cultural programming. Following Georgia's independence in 1991, First Channel operated amid severe political and economic instability. Power shortages, reduced public funding and deteriorating technical equipment affected Georgian television. Its news output, including the long-running Moambe bulletin, became an important source of information during the conflicts and political crises of the period. The channel's editorial stance and coverage of events in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and domestic politics were also subjects of political criticism. Russian-language news and programming remained part of its output during this period, although the balance of language services later changed. The Rose Revolution of 2003 marked a further institutional and editorial transition. The Moambe programme's Russian-language edition was discontinued in 2003, and long-serving presenter Mark Ryvkin left the channel. In 2004, Georgia adopted broadcasting legislation that established Georgian Public Broadcasting as an institution formally independent from the government and placed it under a board of trustees. The framework also provided for public financing calculated through a statutory relationship with national economic output. These reforms helped shape First Channel's modern public-service identity and its stated emphasis on broader editorial openness. First Channel's programming mix includes news, current-affairs and political discussion, sport, documentaries, entertainment, drama and foreign films. It has also carried major international events such as the Eurovision Song Contest. Programmes associated with the channel include Moambe, Political Week, First Topic, I Love Georgia and Life is Wonderful. The broadcaster maintains a multilingual digital presence, with its website available in Georgian, Abkhaz, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, English and Russian, and provides live viewing and mobile applications. The channel is primarily oriented toward audiences in Georgia and is reported to be receivable by approximately 85 percent of the country's population. It remains an active public television brand within the Georgian Public Broadcaster system. Its role combines nationwide news and civic information with general entertainment, cultural content and national representation.
History
First Channel began broadcasting on 30 December 1956 as the principal Georgian television service within the Soviet broadcasting system. It initially transmitted three days per week, expanding to six days by 1960. During the 1970s, the development of the service was associated with Grigory Ratner. The installation of a major antenna and broadcasting equipment on Mount Mtatsminda in 1972 significantly improved the distribution of television and radio signals. By 1981, First Channel's coverage had reached approximately 94 percent of the population of the Georgian SSR. The channel's Soviet-era development established its role as a central institution of Georgian mass communication. Its output included news, public information, cultural material and general television programming. After Georgia declared independence in 1991, the broadcaster faced a difficult operating environment. Economic crisis, prolonged power outages, political conflict and constrained public financing contributed to the deterioration of broadcasting equipment and production conditions. During the post-independence period, the Moambe news bulletin was one of the country's principal information programmes. It was broadcast in Georgian and Russian, and its reporting on Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgian domestic politics attracted criticism from different political constituencies. Mark Ryvkin, who had worked for Georgian television for more than four decades, presented the Russian-language version. The programme and his role were criticized for allegedly reflecting pro-government perspectives. Moambe was cancelled in 2003, following the Rose Revolution, and Ryvkin left the channel. The political transformation of the early 2000s also affected the institutional environment of public broadcasting. In 2004, Georgia adopted broadcasting legislation that defined Georgian Public Broadcasting as institutionally independent from the government and provided for governance by a board of trustees. The law also established a public-financing mechanism linked to a percentage of Georgia's gross domestic product. This framework contributed to the development of First Channel's contemporary public-service identity and its stated commitment to a more open editorial policy. Language policy and competition also evolved after independence. First Channel had carried Russian-language programming, while other services and channels addressed multilingual audiences. Against the background of political tensions and the South Ossetia conflict, Russian-language broadcasting on the main channel was reduced in 2010. Russian and other minority-language programming subsequently became more closely associated with other Georgian television services, including the second channel and TV 3. In its current form, First Channel is a broad public television service. Its schedule encompasses news, political discussion, sport, documentaries, series, entertainment, foreign films and major international events such as the Eurovision Song Contest. It also operates a digital presence through the 1TV website, live streaming and mobile applications. The broadcaster's website is offered in Georgian, Abkhaz, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, English and Russian, reflecting the linguistic diversity of Georgia and the public-service remit of its parent organization. First Channel remains active as the flagship television brand of Georgian Public Broadcaster and is reported to reach approximately 85 percent of Georgia's population.
- 2010
Russian-language broadcasting is reduced
[1]Russian-language output on First Channel was reduced, with multilingual broadcasting increasingly handled by other Georgian television services.
- 2004
Public broadcasting framework is revised
[1]Broadcasting legislation established Georgian Public Broadcasting as formally independent from the government, governed by a board of trustees and supported through a statutory public-financing mechanism.
- 2003
Moambe is discontinued
[1]The Moambe programme was cancelled after the Rose Revolution, and long-serving Russian-language presenter Mark Ryvkin left the channel.
- 1991
Georgia becomes independent
[1]Georgia's independence brought the broadcaster into a period marked by political conflict, power shortages, funding constraints and deteriorating equipment.
- 1981
Coverage reaches a reported 94 percent
[1]First Channel's coverage was reported to have reached 94 percent of the population of the Georgian SSR.
- 1972
Mount Mtatsminda transmission upgrade
[1]A new antenna and specialized broadcasting equipment were installed on Mount Mtatsminda, strengthening national signal distribution.
- 1960
Weekly schedule expands
[1]The channel expanded its schedule to six broadcasting days per week.
- 1956
Broadcasting begins
[1]First Channel began television broadcasts on 30 December 1956, initially transmitting three days per week.
Products and positioning
A nationwide Georgian public-service television channel combining news, current affairs, culture, entertainment, sport and international programming.
Public television channel · 1956
First Channel television service
The core First Channel service is a nationwide Georgian public television channel. Its schedule combines regular news and current affairs with political discussion, sport, documentaries, entertainment, series, foreign films and coverage of significant international events. The service is designed for audiences in Georgia and is reported to be receivable by approximately 85 percent of the country's population.
Digital streaming service
1TV Live
1TV Live is the broadcaster's online live-viewing offering, extending First Channel access beyond conventional television distribution. It forms part of the channel's digital presence alongside its multilingual website and mobile television applications.
Mobile media service
Mobile TV applications
First Channel provides mobile applications for iOS and Android, allowing audiences to access the broadcaster's digital content and television services through mobile devices.
Brand decisions
2010
Reduction of Russian-language outputStrategyBackground
The channel operated in a competitive and politically sensitive multilingual broadcasting environment, including tensions associated with the South Ossetia conflict.
Action taken
Russian-language broadcasting on First Channel was reduced, with Russian and other language services increasingly managed by other Georgian television outlets.
Aftermath
First Channel became more clearly focused on its principal Georgian public-service television role, while multilingual programming was distributed across the wider broadcasting system.
2004
Adoption of the public-broadcasting frameworkStrategyBackground
Following major political change in Georgia, the country's broadcasting system was reorganized through legislation intended to establish Georgian Public Broadcasting as an institution independent from the government.
Action taken
The framework introduced governance by a board of trustees and a public-financing mechanism linked to a percentage of Georgia's gross domestic product.
Aftermath
The changes helped define First Channel's modern public-service structure and supported a more institutionally independent editorial identity.
Sources2 sources
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