One of the few “prime-time” soundbites from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ press conference on Sunday in Thessaloniki came in reference to two barbed questions regarding his government’s insistence on limiting the number of nationwide broadcast licenses in the country to four -- and subsequently auctioning off the four to the highest bidder.
One of the few “prime-time” soundbites from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ press conference on Sunday in Thessaloniki came in reference to two barbed questions regarding his government’s insistence on limiting the number of nationwide broadcast licenses in the country to four -- and subsequently auctioning off the four to the highest bidder.
At least two reporters, both from stations that failed to secure one of the four licenses, asked Tsipras why he is “shutting down” healthy businesses and throwing hundreds into unemployment – with the questions’ language noticeably rattling a usually composed Tsipras.
IN an initial response, the leftist Greek premier accused his main opposition rival of promsing to hand out licenses for free “when Marinakis offers as much as three Champions League (qualification in group play) to acquire one license.”
Tsipras was referring to a winning bid by a company controlled by shipowner Vangelis Marinakis, who owns the Olympiacos Piraeus football team.
He also blamed the lack of a legal composition for an autonomous broadcast watchdog, which under the Greek constitution enjoys jurisdiction over the broadcast spectrum, on ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ opposition and delay tactics.
In response to the questions and criticism by the two reporters, Tsipras first said his government is considering offering incentives for the four successful license bidders – two current stations and two new would-be broadcasters – to rehire whatever laid off staff.
Nevertheless, he dismissed the notion that he or his government would be responsible for TV stations closing, while uncharacteristically noting:
“You are not the only employees to lose their jobs, and also during the crisis 2,000 jobs were lost in the mass media out of the 4,000. Who cries for those co-workers?” he asked, in response to the questions, adding: “None of you wept for the employees of ERT”.
The latter was a reference to the state-run television station that was briefly closed and reopened with another name by the previous Samaras government.