Veteran Cypriot journalist Giorgos Tsalakos, one of the most influential figures in Cyprus’s television journalism, has died after a long battle with cancer.

His death has deeply moved the journalistic community in Cyprus, where Tsalakos was closely associated with the creation, organisation and development of major television stations, leaving a lasting mark on the country’s media landscape.

A career spanning nearly five decades

With a career of almost five decades in print and television journalism, Tsalakos was among the professionals who played a decisive role in shaping private television in Cyprus.

His name was linked to ANT1 Cyprus, Alpha Cyprus and Omega, while he also served as chairman of the board of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, known in Greek as RIK.

Before returning to Cyprus, he worked in Greece at the newspaper Exormisi, the PASOK press office and Greece’s public broadcaster ERT, where he first served as a political editor and later as news director.

His return to Cyprus

In 1992, Tsalakos returned to Cyprus at the invitation of Nikos Pattichis, publisher of Phileleftheros, taking over as editor-in-chief of the magazine Selides.

He later appeared on programmes broadcast by RIK, while also taking part in the organisation and coverage of the 1993 presidential elections, at a time when Cypriot television was gradually entering a new era.

His professional course was closely linked to ANT1 Cyprus, where he worked for 17 years. He later served as general manager of the AlfaMedia Services Group, which included the Alpha television station, the newspapers Alithia and Sportday, Super Sport FM, the magazine Telerama and the AlfaPrinters printing house.

From Alpha to Omega

Tsalakos was also one of the key figures in the creation of Alpha Cyprus, where he served as general news director. He later stepped back from front-line management, taking on the role of adviser on news programming and research.

His final professional post was at Omega, where he served as general manager from the station’s launch until 2022. He later remained close to the management team as a special adviser on news operations and strategic development.

Tsalakos belonged to a generation of journalists who experienced the passage from print journalism to public television and then to the development of private broadcasting. Across that journey, he was not merely an observer, but one of the people who helped shape the evolution of television journalism in Cyprus.