Europe

TV-Monopoly in Greece

Links to Premier Tsipras, it’s for real: the TV broadcast licences are re-awarded, dubious media barons are supposed to stay on the outside. Critics fear a campaign against unwelcome coverage.

The morning magazine by Dimitris Kambourakis in the TV channel MEGA is a magnet for the audience. Friendly and empathetic, the Hobby-historian, moderated the broadcast. But the other day, as he was once again in a policy debate, in all the confusion talked, and burst him by the collar: “break, damn it. If we do close the Shop, let’s at least a reasonable broadcast get,” cried Kambourakis in the round and banged his fist on the Studio table. At the latest, in the Moment it was clear: The biggest TV channel in Greece that threatens. In 1989, MEGA for the first Time was on the air, as the co-owner acted in five of the largest newspaper publishers in the country. Some of them also other interests, for example in the construction industry. With only 250 employees of the newly established station of ERT within a few months, the state television, with 7,000 employees, in the favor of the audience outstrip. There are other private stations followed, most of them are rich idiots.

Many of the viewers and advertising, heads of private broadcasters respect and enjoy. For left-wing politicians, they were above all: The Symbol for shady links between politics and money nobility. Before the Athenians on the left of the ruck in January 2015, said the then leader of the opposition, Alexis Tsipras’s opposition to the “triangle of unfair intertwining between politics, banks and the media”. From his point of view, it went like this: Encouraged by the politicians, the banks granted loans on favourable terms to the media magnate, who thanked politicians and banks, in turn, with a benevolent reporting. “In fact, this allegation is dismissed out of Hand,” says Giorgos Pleios, Professor of media studies at the University of Athens, in an interview with DW. “How would you otherwise explain that many media companies are generating losses and yet there is always a Bank loans, although they offer no urgent collateral?”

Media scientist Giorgos Pleios: The state acts as the biggest capitalist in Greece

A controversial auction process

To resolve such grievances, wants the state to forgive a Minister Nikos Pappas, a Trusted ally of Tsipras, to the broadcast licenses awarded to new or more precisely formulated: for the first time ever. Because so far, seven national TV operators were given temporary approvals at bargain prices, which are constantly renewed. A Trick of the politicians, Pleios: “thus, the state exerts pressure on the media. For me, the state acts as the biggest capitalist in the country – for two reasons: firstly, because it determines the rules, and secondly, because a large number of contractors living in Greece from lucrative government contracts.” The new rules, the Minister of state Nikos Pappas are: Only four TV licenses are to be awarded, the starting price is three million euros. Applicants must employ at least 400 employees and their share shares. This week, the government has made a pre-selection, accordingly, seven of the media may apply to companies in the four licenses. MEGA is not one of them, but still. At the earliest in August, the auction procedure will be completed. And it all revolves around the question: Why only four broadcast licenses? A statement from Premier Tsipras delivers in an Interview with the TV channel Skai: “of The Greek advertising market is 200 million euros in the year. How high are the costs for a TV station that broadcasts a full program, and a certain minimum number of workers are employed? Approximately 50 Million. Therefore, the four broadcasting licenses.”

Mathematically, that might be true. Media is politically the new law, however problematic, warns Pleios. His justification: it is Not the policy, but the market decides how many channels are enough. Pleios believes that the darbende can not receive the advertising market in Greece anyway and more than two private channels in the life. But it is just not the job of government to make this decision. “The policy should set transparent rules and otherwise hold back. If it does not, the suspicion of partisanship, as wanted to the respective Governing broadcast licenses according to political criteria”, criticized the media expert.

Criticism from within its own ranks

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Also, some politicians of the ruling left party Syriza advocate procedures for Changes in the auction. It must not necessarily remain at four broadcast licenses, let the other Syriza culture spokesman Dimitris Sevastakis announced. The constitutional lawyers and members of the European Parliament, Kostas Chryssogonos even speaks of the “legal shortcomings”. For months, the left warns politicians, the Supreme administrative court of Greece could overturn the new law. At the request of the DW Chryssogonos explains succinctly: “There are courts that decide.”

The controversial auction process in breach of EU law and the Greek Constitution law, complained to the Federation of Greek private channels (ETISEE) in a statement. The justification of the Association shall be convened not least to an alleged letter of protest to EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger to Athens. However, Pappas denied that The letter from Brussels was not concerned with the auction process, but a completely different law on the digitisation of television.