The government on Tuesday set a “minimum price tag” of three million euros for each of four nationwide terrestrial broadcast licenses it intends to auction off in the coming period.
The set number of licenses for nationwide broadcasters has generated a firestorm of protests and criticism in the country, by both the political opposition and current broadcasters, which are more than four.
A relevant ministerial decision this week will call for public debate on the tender’s provisions, expected to last from seven to 10 days. After whatever observations and amendments are included, a final tender proclamation will be published, with a deadline of 30 to 45 days for the submission of bids.
The relevant general secretariat for information and communication, as the ministry entity is known, chose Deloitte as the provider of the study that determined the minimum price.
According to the government, Deloitte considered the current economic situation in Greece and internationally, the characteristics, prospects and peculiarities of the international and domestic broadcast advertising sector, as well as the current framework in the country to reach the figure.
Greece’s advertising outlay have been significantly diminished over the last six to seven years since the economic crisis began, while the current broadcasters have posted results varying from tens of millions of euros in accumulated losses – mostly listed companies – to “manageable small losses” on a yearly basis.
