Imedi is the largest television broadcaster in Georgia, employing more than 1,000 people and with revenues in excess of GEL35 million. It has an audience share of around a third of the total television viewers in the country.
Hunnewell’s Irakli Rukhadze is the Chairman of Imedi’s Supervisory Board and is actively involved in all strategic decisions for the organisation.
Imedi broadcasts a wide selection of programming using the latest broadcast technology. It screens many Georgian versions of popular global franchises; Dancing with the Stars, produced in Georgia under licence from the BBC, is one of the channel’s most popular shows. Talented, part of the Got Talent franchise, achieved the highest ever ratings for a television show in Georgia, and Little Big Shots, produced under licence from Warner Bros., is also immensely popular.
As well as hosting Georgian versions of international shows, Imedi also broadcasts other locally created content. Autograph, a weekly music entertainment programme, is enjoyed both in Georgia and by overseas compatriots. Late Show is a popular comedy chat show which responds to current events. Famous Georgians frequently appear and it’s a ratings leader for the channel. Broadcasting on Imedi since 2014, Skhva Rakursi (A Different Perspective) is an entertainment show that has toured almost every region in the country during filming. It hosts panel discussions of current events and documents local events, the culture and sites of interest across the nation.
Imedi has pioneered innovative programming. Anatomy, the country’s first medical reality show, follows real Georgians from across the country as they have their health issues diagnosed and then treated. A section of the show also offers an online clinic where people can ask doctors questions.
As well as a variety of entertainment programming, Imedi also has one of the most popular news channels in Georgia, including daily bulletins of both national and international news. News bulletin Cronika is broadcast four times a day and covers local, national and international news, and is watched by 20-25 per cent of total viewers. Cronika of the Day is the weekday evening news programme, where current events are discussed with guests. It is watched by 22 per cent of total viewers. And Imedis Kvira is a current affairs show broadcast on Sundays, which looks back at some of the main news stories of the week.
The channel’s mission is to broadcast inventive programming that entertains, reflects and informs its viewers.
In addition to Imedi TV, Hunnewell owns and manages two additional TV channels in Georgia – a local news channel called Maestro TV and leading entertainment channel GDS.