One of the four winners of Greece’s recent controversial national TV tender has decided to give up his licence.
According to Ekathimerini, Yiannnis Kalogritas pulled out after the government rejected a request by his company for more time to pay the first tranche of the fee. It adds that Kalogritas said he was withdrawing due to “corrupt circles” that had accused him of tax evasion and other offences.
Attention has now turned to the Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis, the first runner-up in the competition.
He has said he would be able to pay the first tranche of a licence fee within a couple of days.
Government sources have since said that his assets will be inspected within the next five days and he has 15 days to pay the fee.
As previously reported in Broadband TV News, Savvidis failed to secure a licence despite bidding €61.7 million in the tender.
He subsequently offered to buy the closure-threatened Alpha TV and to work with the four licence winners.
