Changing Television in Greece: the Privatisation of Greek Television and the Historical, Legal, Political, Economical and Social Environment

It was just seven years ago when a commercial television station broadcast on the Greek airwaves for the first time. Today, 1997, the number of these stations has risen to 160. The formation of hundreds of commercial TV and radio stations resulted in Greece being one of the most dense media environments on the planet.

Commercial television in Greece was born on 20 November 1989, when Mega Channel began broadcasting in the greater Athens area. By 1996 commercial television channels in Greece had captured approximately 90 per cent of the total viewing audience and 95 per cent of TV advertising revenue.

This paper investigates the historical, legal, economic, political, and international phenomena which led to the birth of commercial television in Greece, the changes that television itself went through, the effects of these changes on Greek society, and the future prospects for Greek TV.