Television licence

Ljubljana – Total revenue from advertising in leading media in Slovenia dropped by a good 10% to EUR 250 million in 2020 compared to the pre-Covid year 2019. The biggest drop was recorded in outdoor advertising and the smallest in print media, according to an annual report compiled by the magazine Marketing Magazin.

The main private television stations in Albania proposed a law that would see them sharing in several million euros of television-set taxes which currently go to the public broadcaster.

Labor Minister Effie Achtsioglou on Tuesday signed a decision that will result in the distribution of a one-off support handout of 1,000 euros to each worker of bankrupt TV channel Mega, for a total of 470,000 euros.

Mega, whose employees have gone for months without payment, suspended its program in September 2016, weighed down by its debts to banks.

The agreement between the Greek government and opposition parties during the session of the parliamentary Presidents’ council on the composition of the new National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV), Thursday evening, has paved the way for a solution regarding the media landscape in Greece.

Government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassili said in the wake of a Council of State verdict deeming a recent TV license auction unconstitutional, that "nothing will stand in the way of the government's determination to bring some order to the radio and television landscape."

Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis said on Tuesday he is ready to pay the first installment for the acquisition of a nationwide TV license, adding that all his business activities are transparent.
“I have no pending issues. As far as my financial ability is concerned, everything is transparent. I’m waiting for the order to immediately pay the first installment,” Savvidis told.

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."

Yannis Kalogritsas who was one of the four winners of the TV license bidding, is reported to have asked for a 48-hour- postponement of the 18 million Euros deposit for the first installment of his total bid.

The owners of the four new TV licences met separately with Minister of State Nikos Pappas, Monday afternoon and discussed matters pertaining to the next stages in the ratification of the new licences and the operation of the media landscape.

The owners of the four new TV stations will be meeting with government representatives, later Monday at 3 pm, at Maximos Mansion. The four licence owners will see Minister of State Nikos Pappas, the government spokesperson, Olga Gerovasili and General Secretary of Information and Communication, Lefteris Krestos.