The government is attempting to put a definitive end to the regime of “temporary legality” for regional television, with the new law passed by Parliament that completely changes the operating framework for stations.
The bill by the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis, was approved by the Plenary, with the support of New Democracy and PASOK, while several provisions also received a positive response from opposition parties.
The new Law 5308/2026 concerns the 81 regional television stations currently in operation and introduces new requirements regarding both technical operations and licensing.
The main objective is the full transition to high-definition (HD) and the creation of a stable operating framework, following 28 years of continuous extensions and transitional arrangements.
Auctions for television licenses are being abolished
The key change in the new framework is the abandonment of the model of financial bidding competitions.
Licenses will no longer be granted through auctions, but through a process of institutional and quality control, with a key role played by the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR). They will be valid for 10 years, and the application for participation will be accompanied by a fee of 1,000 euros.
The five stages of the process
Licensing will proceed through the following five key steps:
1. Determination of available spectrum
The Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) will submit a technical recommendation regarding the capacity of the available spectrum per Regional Zone.
Based on this report and the opinion of the National Broadcasting Council, the number of licenses that each region can technically support for HD broadcasting will be determined.
2. Public Call for Expressions of Interest by the NCRTV
Subsequently, the NCRTV will issue a public call for expressions of interest for each Regional Zone.
This will describe the deadlines, the required supporting documents, and the method for assigning the Logical Channel Number (LCN), i.e., the position of each channel on the remote control.
3. Verification of basic requirements
In the first phase, the basic eligibility criteria will be reviewed.
The legal form of the companies, full transparency regarding ownership structure, compliance with tax and social security obligations, as well as technical infrastructure will be checked.
Transmission facilities, the availability of HD equipment, and financial adequacy will also come under scrutiny.
The minimum share capital will start at 100,000 euros for small zones, reach 150,000 euros for medium-sized areas, €200,000 for Thessaloniki and Chalkidiki, and up to €500,000 for Attica.
If the number of valid applications does not exceed the number of available permits, the process will be completed without further evaluation.
Scoring when there are more applications
In cases where applications exceed the available licenses, a comparative evaluation system will be applied.
Stations will be scored based on their original and local programming, the number of employees and journalists, the experience of their executives, and their continuous presence in the market.
News channels will be required to broadcast at least 18 hours of programming, while for non-news channels the minimum requirement will be 12 hours.
At the same time, there is a requirement to make content available on demand for one week.
The law also sets minimum staffing requirements. For example, at least 30 employees are required in Attica and 20 in Thessaloniki.
What will happen to stations that are not licensed
Once the process is complete, the National Broadcasting Council will compile ranking lists by zone and proceed with the issuance of licenses.
For stations that do not secure a license, a three-month transition period is provided so that they can either comply or suspend operations.
The role of EETT and the transition to DVB-T2
A key role in the new system is played by the collaboration of Pavlos Marinakis with the Ministry of Digital Governance and Minister Dimitris Papastergiou.
The technical transition to the DVB-T2 standard is a key part of the plan, so that all regional stations will broadcast exclusively in HD.
The EETT is expected to submit its final recommendation on the frequency spectrum shortly, while the National Broadcasting Council (ESR), which has increased its staff by 62%, is preparing for the first calls for tenders in September.
Next target: radio stations
Following regional television, the government is turning its attention to the licensing of radio stations.
The Ministry of Digital Governance has already requested an update of radio station data to form a complete picture before the official process begins there as well.
