The National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) has set the starting price for each of seven national television content licenses put up for auction at 35 million euros – or 245 million euros in total.
In a letter sent to Digital Policy and Media Minister Nikos Pappas, the NCRTV said the decision was taken unanimously and takes into account the tender process held in 2016. It also noted that the television broadcasting spectrum was not “unlimited”.
Pappas and Alternate Finance Minister George Chouliarakis on Friday signed a Joint Ministerial Decision setting the starting price for each of the seven national television content broadcasting licenses to be offered by the Greek state.
The ministers’ JMD essentially ratified the opinion sent to the Pappas on Friday by the NCRTV, which suggested that starting price for each licence in the auction should be 35 million euros. The licenses are for the provision of national-range land-based digital broadband free reception television content.
The NCRTV aims at the same total amount -246 million euros – that was collected in the auction of 2016 for four licenses.
The electronic auction of 2016 was canceled after the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State ruled that the law that had transferred jurisdiction from an independent regulatory body – the NCRTV- to the ministry of state – Digital Policy & Media ministry – violated the Constitution.
The CoS said relevant constitutional articles stipulate that the “watchdog” authority oversees the broadcast sector in the country.
The CoS ruling was a heavy political blow to the left-wing government and the controversial Pappas Law – named after the media minister – that was aiming to overhaul the country’s “corrupt private broadcasting landscape.”
The CoS decision cancelled the TV licenses bid and the state had to return the down-payment -some 30% of a total €240million- to the four winners.
A 9-month fight between Pappas and private television channel owners and a ridiculous procedure had ended in a fiasco.
It is not clear yet when the seven licenses will be put in auction and under which conditions.
