Auction

Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis has been officially declared the final winner of a fourth broadcasting license as the runner-up in the recent tender for the auctioning of four nationwide TV licenses, following the withdrawal of businessman Ioannis Kalogritsas. The relevant committee has completed an audit on Savvidis’ wealth declaration and the businessman in now expected to submit the

The Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, is on Friday expected to consider appeals against the constitutionality of a recent auction of TV licenses by the government.

The government was licking its wounds Monday after Yiannis Kalogritsas, one of four winning bidders in a recent auction of nationwide television licenses - and under increasing public scrutiny over his suitability as a candidate - withdrew from contention after his company was unable to pay the first installment of the license fee on time.

Following the announcement by Yiannis Kalogritsas, one of four businessmen who won nationwide television licenses in a recent auction, that he was withdrawing from the competition, attention shifted on Monday to the first runner-up in the competition, Russian-Greek entrepreneur Ivan Savvidis.

Yiannis Kalogritsas, the winner of one of four Greek TV licenses in a recent auction, withdrew from the competition on Monday, pointing to a "corrupt circle" that, he claimed, had sought to accuse him of "everything except Kennedy's murder."

One of the four winners of a recent auction for nationwide television licenses, Yiannis Kalogritsas, on Monday sought an extension of 48 hours to pay the first tranche of the fee for the license, a request that was rejected by the Media Ministry, potentially paving the way for his disqualification and replacement by a runner-up in the competition.

The Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, is on Friday to hear the appeal of six television channels against a recent government auction of nationwide TV licenses.

More than seven out of 10 (74.2 percent) Greeks said the government did not handle well the nationwide broadcast license auction last month, according to a poll conducted by MRB on behalf of STAR TV, which was one of the unsuccessful bidders.

A second auction of the Athens Ledra Hotel, a former member of the Ledra Marriot chain, failed to attract bidders on Thursday. Located on Syngrou Avenue, the establishment closed down in May following financial hurdles.

The hotel's starting price on Thursday was 47.8 million euros, unaltered from the first auction held in July.

Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis, one of four contenders that failed to secure a TV license in a recent auction by the government, has offered to buy Alpha TV, one of the existing channels that faces closure after failing to win a license in the competition.