Hellenic TV History

Hellenic TV is the only Greek language television channel in operation, outside Greece and Cyprus, since 1990. The campaign for the creation of Greek language Television channel in London began in 1982, with the launch of cable television (CABLE TV) in the UK. Hellenic TV was born out of the vision of the Greek speaking community to acquire its own Greek-language television channel.

After 8 years of hard work and struggle, the dream became a reality! Hellenic TV became the first non-English-language television channel, licensed by the UK Government body, the ITC (Independent Television Commission).

 

HellenicTV began broadcasting on December 9, 1990, with an initial 3-hour program. On its first day of operation 13 homes were connected in the Camden area, oneof the first areas to be cabled in London. The first productions of HellenicTV, impressedTony Curry, the head of Cable TV of the ITC (Independent Television Commission), one of the most experienced cable television executives in Great Britain,. Tony Curry said in an interview: "Never before, in the history of Television, was so much produced, by so very few people for so few".

 

Within a year of its launch, HellenicTV had over a thousand subscribers in London. Broadcasting hours increased from 3 hours to 17 hours a day with the ERT and RIK live broadcasts online, when they started broadcasting onEutelsat's ECS satellite. Local productions have also increased with programs centred on the Greek and Cypriot communities in London, with music concerts and Greek films.

The Greek speaking community in London warmly embraced Hellenic TV.Three years into its life, Hellenic TV extended its broadcasting hours to 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Offering its audience the best possible quality, it has gained more and more subscribers. By producing its own content cantered on  the local community, HellenicTV created its own identity and became an example to follow. No other UK community has managed to date to create a local community television channel like HellenicTV.

 

With the evolution of technology, a new era began for HellenicTV in September 2006. The channel extended its broadcasting world-wide, as one of the first Greek channels on the Internet. In December 2008, 18 years after the start of broadcasting, Analogue Cable stopped working and HellenicTV continued its broadcast over the Internet. New digital technology has enabled HellenicTV to evolve into a multi-channel Greek platform and Hellenic TV London, the local HellenicTV channel, has been renamed to Hellenic TV1.

 

Hellenic TV Platform currently has 2 million viewers worldwide. There is a selection of 50 Greek channels including London's Hellenic TV1.

Hellenic TV has also established co-operation with RIK and SIGMA Cyprus as well as with ERT the Greek National TV Company. Hellenic GR a spin-off of Hellenic TV London, has recently been established in Greece, offering a wealth of television material with its productions.

 

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The Hellenic TV Channel

Hellenic TV broadcasts general entertainment and information programs. The program called ‘Omogeneia Edo Londino’ is a weekly program that presents community events taking place in London.

It also produces and broadcasts entertainment content, educational  programmes as well as talk shows with interviews and discussions on current affairs issues.

An important part of the program is the Greek films with Greek productions of the last 80 years. Film summaries are published every Thursday in the newspaper Parikiaki and this website.

You can watch the HellenicTV channel on the web with Live Streaming, where you can connect to your PC and mobile with a simple search. Also on the CytelUK Telecom Roku Box, as well as on Freeview 271 CHANNELBOX TV, available in the United Kingdom.