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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-08-05
CONTENTS
[01] Karamanlis chairs Inner Cabinet meeting
[01] Karamanlis chairs Inner Cabinet meeting
The first trial digital broadcast will be launched on November 1, 2008,
announced Minister of State and government spokesman Theodoros
Roussopoulos after an Inner Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that focused on
sector issues chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. A
presidential decree and two joint ministerial decisions will have to
precede the issuing of broadcast licenses to radio and television
channels by the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR),
Roussopoulos stated adding that the goal set is to ensure that
television channels will have financial independence from commercial
sponsors. "ERT public television has already commenced the broadcast
of three pilot digital programmes," Roussopoulos said, stressing that
nothing had been done in the field since 1961 when a total of 107
frequencies had been allocated to Greece. The radio and television
frequency chart was drawn up after the international convention in
Geneva in 2004 when Greece acquired the right of use for a total of
2,500 frequencies. Responding to a question by a reporter on the
different opinions expressed by government MPs, he said that the
government proceeds with the implementation of its election pledges.
On the planned mergers of municipalities and prefectures, Roussopoulos
commented that the government makes its moves following consultations
with the National Union of Municipalities and Communities (KEDKE) and
the Greek National Union of Prefectural Local Authorities (ENAE) aimed
at making local government organizations (OTA) more flexible and
effective able to receive EU funding and best utilize their own funds.
Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis
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