3. Access to the Mainstream Media

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The 1995 Greek Law (Law n. 2328), on private television and local radio stations, similarly to the previous ones, has absolutely no provision for minority media or access of minorities to the media. Apart from a vague reference to the principles of both common interest and pluralism, there is no legal framework institutionalizing minority media into the Greek media spectrum: “The [TV] stations, which will be given licenses, will also have the obligation to take care of the quality of the program, the objective information, the securing of pluralism as well as the promotion of culture through the emission of programs which will be dedicated to art”. (...) “Licensing [for local radio stations] is granted on the basis of the principle of common public interest and constitutes public function. The stations, which will be given licenses, will have to take care of the quality of the program, the objective information, the securing of pluralism as well as the promotion of culture through the emission of programs which will be dedicated to art” [Law n. 2328, on the Legal Status of Private Television and Local Radio, the Regulation of the Radiotelevision Market and Other Provisions, in “The Official Gazette of the Hellenic Republic”, first issue, number 156, August 3, 1995: 1, 16].

As a result, minorities have almost no access to the mainstream media, which are on the contrary hostile to them (see section 7 below). In such a framework, the rare exceptions should be noted. The Greek state radio launched, in February 2000, half-hours programs in 12 non-Greek languages (mostly immigrants’ languages and not including Macedonian or Romanes), usually produced by persons belonging to the respective linguistic groups. Moreover, it has been running Turkish language programs for three years in its regional outlet in Thrace, using again a minority journalist. While, in Komotini, the daily “Paratiritis” introduced in late 1999 Turkish and Russian language weekly supplements (Russian is commonly spoken by refugees of Greek origin –“Pontics”- from former Soviet countries), later turned into daily supplements. The local radio with the same name also introduced news bulletins in the same languages. Needless to say that the foreign language news content in these programs and pages does not reflect the real debate within the respective community, as it includes only what can be said to be non-controversial viz the prevailing policies towards the respective communities.