Competencies

The National Council for Radio and Television exercises its competencies as a collective administrative authority.
The Council has been assigned to secure that all broadcasts comply with the provisions laid down by the law of the Greek state from which they emanate as well as by the Directive ¨Television without Frontiers¨ of the European Commission. It is competent to control, where practicable and by appropriate means, the broadcasters’ operation with reference to their informational, educational, cultural and entertainment responsibilities to the public. NCRT is the appropriate authority to ensure fundamental benefits such as the freedom of expression, political and cultural pluralism and the broadcasting of reliable, fair and balanced information. The Council is the only responsible body with regard to the control of media companies and the imposition of fines. Furthermore, it is the competent authority for allocating licenses and to take any decision of non-regulatory character.
In specific National Council for Radio and Television in Greece has the following powers and duties.
NCRTV:

  • awards, renews and revokes the licenses for the operation of radio and television stations.
  • supervises that public and private broadcasters comply with the fundamental principles and rules in force regarding the pursuit of radio and television broadcast activities.
  • surveys and monitors program΄s quality, objectivity in disseminating information and the pluralistic expression of political ideas and opinions, as prescribed by Law. In specific, the NCRTV´s department for programs’ quality and human rights’ protection monitors television and radio programs in order to ascertain that broadcasters operating on the Greek territory under its jurisdiction conform to the code of journalistic ethics and the provisions of legislation in force, regarding human rights and dignity’s protection, presumption of innocence, pluralism, childhood and adolescence protection. It also surveys television and radio advertising spots for ensuring that stations comply with the rules laid down by law, concerning the total advertising air-time, advertisements for children toys, cigarettes, tobacco products and alcohol beverages.
  • supervises fundamental benefits such as the transparency of the actual ownership in order to apply competition law and eliminate tendencies of concentration, oligopoly or monopoly in regard with the broadcasting field.
  • imposes administrative sanctions to broadcasters for violation of the provisions of Law, applicable to media operation, after hearing the interested parts. According to the Greek audiovisual legislation, sanction issued by NCRT may include an advice, a warning, a temporary or a permanent suspension of the radio/television station, administrative fines, even revocation of the license.
  • as prescribed by Law, examines the rectification petitions for personality offense.draws up and issues proclamations for broadcasting licenses to radio and television stations.
  • issues directives and recommendations to public and private media companies and expresses expert opinion on draft laws or decrees relating to the broadcasting sector and suggests changes for the improvement of the relevant legislation. Furthermore, the National Council for Radio and Television may also ask for wider social and professional groups’ opinions relating to issues of their interest.
  • keeps record for mass media enterprises and companies which contract agreements for public procurements.

Organization

NCRTV is comprised by nine members who are nominated by the Conference of the Presidents, a special body of the Parliament in charge of the nomination of the independent authorities, and in which all political parties are represented.
The nominees have to be elected by 4/5 of the members of the Conference of the Presidents. The members of the Authority are appointed for a period of four years, renewed once, and enjoy absolute personal and operational independence in the performance of their duties guaranteed by the Constitution, according to the last (18/04/2001) Revision of the Constitution (Article 15 §2).
The NCRTV members are persons of high status, enjoy social approval and are distinguished for their scientific expertise and their professional ability in the legal, academic and mass media field.
They are regularly invited by the ¨Parliamentary Commission for Institutions and Transparency¨ to hearings at the Parliament.
NCRTV is governed by the Plenary, which consists of the President, the Vice President and five members. According to Act N.2869/2000 (article 5), Plenary is the only competent to take decisions which take effect without any other approval and are subject only to judicial review by the State Council (Symvoulio tis Epikrateias – The Highest Administrative Court).

The Authority’s services are organized in four main divisions: the legality and licensing department, the department for transparency and competition΄s supervision, the department for programs´ quality and human rights protection and the administrative and technical services department.
Composition and identity of the NCRTV members


Composition of NCRTV´s Plenary

  • Αthanassios Koutromanos, President,
  • Xenofon Moronis, Vice-president
  • Kalliopi Diamantakou, Member
  • Vassilios Carapostolis, Member
  • Nicolaos Kiaos, Member
  • Evangelia Mitrou, Member
  • George Pleios, Member
  • George Sareidakis, Member
  • Dimitra Papadopoulou, Member.

Contact

National Council for Radio and Television 5,
Amerikis Street and Panepistimiou Avenue,
Athènes 105 64 GRECE

Téléphone : +30 210 3354500
Fax : +30 210 3319881
E-mail : ncrt@otenet.gr
Site internet du NCRTV : www.esr.gr