- On October 24, 2023, the government decided to pay from the public treasury, exclusively on behalf of the 7 nationwide private channels, the contributions to the Journalist’s Organization of Supplemental Insurance and Health Care (EDOEAP) for the entire year of 2022.
- How the 6.8 million of the extraordinary funding was distributed: the amounts per TV station and the refunds through the state budget to those who had already paid the contributions.
- The government cites the preservation of “existing jobs and the prevention of deterioration of the working environment due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”!
By Vassilis Galoupis
With an extraordinary and exceptional decision, the government has decided to exempt the seven nationwide television channels from their obligation to pay their contributions. As posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, by the Presidency of the Government and the General Secretariat for Communication and Information, the Greek public will bear the cost of 6.8 million euros to EDOEAP, which burdens these specific private enterprises.
The reason for the government’s decision is “the fact that the above-mentioned businesses were particularly affected during the recent economic disruption caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the EU and international partners, as well as by the countermeasures taken”.
The government’s “gift” commitment to private channels was formulated during the pre-election period by a Government Decree on April 21, 2023, and was implemented on October 24. It concerns all contributions of the nationwide television stations for the year 2022 to EDOEAP.
This decision is selective and concerns only the specific TV stations (Mega, Alpha, SKAI, Open, Star, ANT1, Macedonia TV), i.e., not the entire print and electronic media of the country and certainly not all private companies of all sectors.
The whole decree on the channels (PDF)
The April 2023 decree
On April 21, 2023, the decision regarding the “Funding Program for Economic Support of Ground Digital Free-to-Air Television Content Providers of National Coverage” was published in the Government Gazette (gazette no. 2673).
The decision was signed by the then Deputy Minister of Finance, Theodoros Skylakakis (current Minister of Environment and Energy), and the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Yannis Economou (current Minister of Citizen Protection).
According to the decree, the detailed list of beneficiaries to be included in the funding program was to follow, specifying the amounts entitled per beneficiary as well as the amount to be reimbursed to EDOEAP.
The purpose of the funding program is defined as “the financial support of the above enterprises, as well as the workers employed by them, due to the economic disruption caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the EU and international partners and the countermeasures taken”.
In the explanatory memorandum of the ministerial decision, it is stated:
“The need for financial support for content providers of nationwide free-to-air digital terrestrial television, as they promote diversity, pluralism, and quality in public discourse”.
- “The fact that the above businesses were particularly affected during the recent economic disruption caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the EU and international partners, as well as by the countermeasures taken.”
- “The need to support the workers employed in the above-mentioned enterprises, to preserve existing jobs, and to prevent the deterioration of the working environment in the above-mentioned field of economic activity, due to the special circumstances created by the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.
- “The possibility of financial support for the above enterprises based on objective criteria, as defined in Article 86 of Law No. 4674/2020, which must take place on the basis of objective and equal criteria. In this sense, a financial support program may consist of the total or partial coverage of the contribution referred to in point (b) of par. 1 of Article 6 of Law No. 248/1967 (A’ 243) for a specific period of time, the same for all potential beneficiaries, in order to ensure uninterrupted and continuous operation, and the continued provision of services they offer throughout the economic disruption caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine”.
Full funding decision ( PDF)
The decision on funding
On Tuesday 24.10.2023, the Presidency of the Government and the General Secretariat of Communication and Information issued the relevant decision for the inclusion of the beneficiary companies in this funding program, signed by the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Ioannis Bratakos.
In particular, it states:
“We decided to include seven (7) Beneficiaries/Enterprises, providers of nationwide free-to-air digital terrestrial television content, in the Funding Program for Economic Support of Content Providers of Ground Digital Free-to-Air Television of National Coverage, according to Joint Ministerial Decision Ε298/2023 (Β’ 2673), as currently in force. The total amount of six million eight hundred thirty-nine thousand eight hundred ninety euros and thirty-six cents (6,839,890.36 €) will be charged to the budget allocation of the Presidency of the Government, special agency 1004-204-0000000 General Secretariat for Communication and Information, for the fiscal year 2023, based on the Beneficiary List/Enterprises providers of content for nationwide free-to-air digital terrestrial television, attached as an Annex and an integral part of this Decision”.
The amounts per channel
The decision of October 24, 2023, sets out the funding amounts per channel for their contributions in 2022. Specifically, and in the order indicated in the official document:
- Star Channel: EUR 1,175 million
- Open: EUR 400,926
- Macedonia TV: EUR 78,291
- ANT1: EUR 1,878 million
- Alpha: EUR 1,304 million
- SKAI: EUR 1,045 million
- Mega: EUR 957,240
= The total amount distributed by the government to the channels is 6.839.890 euros.
As indicated in the relevant table, the seven nationwide channels have already paid their contributions to EDOEAP for the year 2022. The outstanding amount is of negligible value (€21,978 from Open). This means that the amounts already paid will be refunded to the television stations, and the money will be paid from the public fund.
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