How much ‘freedom’ for the Greek media?

by Sarantis Michalopoulos

Media pluralism should be a bulwark against populism. But where is the fine line between “freedom” and “free-riding”? In the case of Greece, we can’t see the wood for the trees.

According to RWB, in 2016, Bulgaria was the EU’s worst achiever (109th) followed by Greece (88th), Croatia (74th), Poland (54th) and Italy (52nd). Hungary ranked 71st.

“Alexis Tsipras’ government continues to struggle to end corruption and to provide the adequate framework for the functioning of the country's media,” RWB noted.

Greece is the only member state that has never launched a licensing process for private TV channels, maintaining a lawless regime of temporary licenses for 25 years.

As part of its bailout obligations, the leftist Syriza government attempted to regulate the media via a controversial auction to grant four national broadcasting licences.

The small number offered triggered strong reactions from opposition parties, which blamed the government for trying to control the press.

The government responded by accusing them of trying to protect the corrupt old establishment.

The tender should have been conducted by Greece’s independent regulatory authority (NCRTV) but the opposition blocked several attempts by the government to appoint its board members.

Tsipras’ government pushed ahead with the tender without the NCRTV and managed to raise €250 million for the cash-strapped economy.

But Greece’s top court ruled that the auction was unconstitutional, as NCRTV’s powers to carry out the tender should not have been transferred to the state.

After the court decision, the board members were appointed and they are now charged with implementing the tender.

Meanwhile, the Association of National Broadcasting Television Station Owners (EITHSEE) filed a petition asking that its members and senior executives be exempted from an obligation to submit wealth statements. Thousands of Greeks and all journalists are obliged to do so.

In addition, the newly appointed NCRTV members have since become inactive. The reason? The majority had retired before they were appointed to the authority and had complained about not being exempted from a law on the employment of pensioners in the public sector, which mandates a drastic reduction in their income.

The government then passed an amendment, to help sugar the pill. Yet, no tender is foreseen.

The NCRTV now claims that it does not have the proper infrastructure to proceed. Asked what was wrong, NCRTV Vice-President Rodolphos Moronis replied, “Logistical and staff problems. I would not like to continue this conversation.”