Polyphony ensured in Cypriot broadcasting landscape, report says

Polyphony in the Cypriot broadcasting landscape seems to be ensured to a sufficient extent, however, trends are also observed, which should be taken into consideration, so as not to affect or even harm its development in the future, is the general finding of a report by the Cyprus Radio-Television Authority (CRTA).

According to the report, radio and television stations broadcast a wide range of programmes, but there are categories such as culture, education and children's programmes that are lagging behind in coverage.

The CRTA notes that, both radio and television organisations now base a large part of their programmes on domestic productions.

A “great absence” from the programmes of both television and radio organisations are children's and youth programmes, it adds, since, with the exception of some cartoon series broadcast by two television organisations and a children's programme broadcast by two island-wide radio organisations, the rest do not have programmes for children.

As far as culture is concerned, this sector and cultural issues in general, “do not enjoy the necessary visibility”, which is a repeated finding in the CRTA reports, it adds.

On music programmes, the report finds that “a similarity is observed in the type of music that, mainly the thematic-music organisations choose to broadcast”. Specifically, the vast majority chooses to broadcast songs, either in Greek or in English, from the contemporary mainstream music industry, while differentiation and variety seem to be absent, it adds.

According to the Authority, seven local radio stations applied for and received approval to switch from local to island-wide, while, in 2023, three local radio stations, together with three others, a total of six, have ended their operation.

The report states that indicative of the shrinking numbers of local radio organisations is that in the previous report there were 30 licences of local radio organisations, while in this report there are 21. Also noteworthy, it said, was the termination of the operation of three small local organisations with a long-term presence in the airwaves.

In the case of television stations, the report says that the vast majority are general interest organisations. As far as the island-wide and local radio organisations are concerned, there is a trend in changing from general interest to thematic and mainly musical ones, noting that the main reason for this seems to be economic.

In relation to the shareholders of the radio and television stations, the report states that as far as the television and island-wide radio organisations are concerned no shareholder controls more than 25% of the total share capital of the company. With respect to local radio organisations, no single shareholder owns more than 40% of the company's share capital.

Consequently, it said, there is no concentration of shares among a limited number of shareholders.

(Source: CNA)