Veteran broadcaster Giorgos Tsalakos has died following a long battle with cancer, his family confirmed on Friday. With a career spanning nearly five decades, Tsalakos was described as one of the most influential figures in Cyprus's television journalism.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in the village of Lysi, Famagusta district in Cyprus, Tsalakos studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His television career began in Greece in 1981, when he started working for the country's public broadcaster ERT. He remained there until 1990, serving as a political correspondent and later as editor-in-chief of news.
Return to Cyprus and Media Expansion
He then returned to Cyprus, where he played a vital role in the country's expanding television sector, helping develop channels such as Antenna Cyprus, Alpha Cyprus and Omega, which came on air during the 1990s. In 1992, he took over as editor-in-chief of the magazine Selides.
He spent 17 years helping to build ANT1 Cyprus's news operation before going on to serve as general manager of the AlfaMedia Services Group, overseeing media assets including Alpha TV, the newspapers Alithia and Sportday, Super Sport FM, Telerama magazine and the AlfaPrinters printing house.
Leadership Roles
He also served as board chairman at the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation from 2013 to 2015. Tsalakos played a key role in the creation of Alpha Cyprus, a free-to-air television channel that launched in 2015. He served as general news director before stepping back from management and becoming an adviser on news programming and research. His final role was at Omega, where he worked as general manager until 2022.
Tributes Pour In
Tributes have flooded in for Tsalakos online, with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides writing in a statement: 'I express my sincere condolences to his family and friends. With his whole life’s attitude, he earned the respect of his colleagues but also of the public in general.'
Annita Demetriou, who has served as President of the Cypriot House of Representatives since June 2021, added: 'Today, Cyprus and Greece have lost a great journalist who knew how to create and innovate.'
Greek Cypriot politician Alexander Attalides also paid tribute, writing on X: 'I bid farewell to Giorgos Tsalakos with sadness and respect. His life left a lasting mark on the people who knew him and worked alongside him. I worked with him for 12 years and am grateful for the support he provided in promoting the work of the European Parliament. To his family, and to my dear Eliza, I extend my sincere condolences. May his memory be eternal. Giorgos Tsalakos has passed away — the man who transformed Cyprus's television landscape.'
