Greece

[GR] Procedure for Granting Licences for Terrestrially Broadcast Television

IRIS 2004-1:1/28

Alexandros Economou

National Council for Radio and Television

A new procedure for granting broadcasting licences (the first failed because of lack of economic elements in the applications) for analog terrestrially broadcast television is currently in hand (see IRIS 2003­8: 11). Calls for tenders were published by the national council for radio and television (CNRT), the independent authority responsible for supervising radio and television, in October and November, for 6 national licences, 51 regional licences and 57 local licences.

Although there is little doubt concerning the five private national channels (Mega, Antenna, Alpha, Star and Alter) that operate respecting the present regulations and have a solid infrastructure, the outcome is more uncertain when it comes to selecting one of the ten candidates for the sixth place, due to the requirements and the difficult situation of most of the enterprises involved. At the regional and local levels, where a large number of undertakings operate at present, often disregarding the basic statutory provisions, it will be a rather delicate matter for the CNRT to make a choice.

In order for the CNRT to complete the procedure, which, according to the best estimates, will take at least five months in the case of the national licences, the CNRT will have to refute a rather widespread belief in the Greek political milieu, that a pre-election phase prior to legislative elections next spring is not the time best suited to granting broadcasting licences. At any event, granting licences under Act 2328 voted in 1995 will firstly allow the CNRT to gain a clear view of the situation of the audiovisual scene in Greece and have the Act applied effectively, and will also enable the Greek authorities to sort out frequencies with an eye to the organisation of the Olympic Games next August.