The birth of a Greek TV station

Reflecting the fabric of the British Cypriot Community and their Greek counterparts a TV station based in London is still going strong 30 years after it was created says PAUL LAMBIS

It was a momentous moment in the history of the Greek and Cypriot communities in the United Kingdom. As its founding members huddled together in a small studio, the first Greek language TV programme aired for three hours to 13 homes in the Camden area of London, establishing Hellenic TV (HTV) as the first fully operating Greek language television channel outside of Greece and Cyprus.

Since that historic day in 1990, HTV has evolved into a thriving digital platform with an impressive viewership of over two million people worldwide. Through a wide range of programmes, it helps preserve the cultural heritage of Greece and Cyprus while showcasing members of the diaspora who have contributed positively to British society.

The first chapter of HTV, however, began eight years earlier with the introduction of cable television in the UK. While working as a satellite engineer for British Telecom at the time, CEO and Managing Director of HTV Takis Fellas realised the potential of cable TV.

“It was a significant stride forward for technology,” Takis said. “At the time, there were just three channels available in the UK: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. When there were suddenly 50 analogue channels, I realised that content would be required, which is when I came up with the idea for a Greek language channel.”

According to Takis, the next eight years were pivotal. Having learned the ins and outs of the cable television business, and overcoming numerous challenges such as language barriers, funding, and the painstaking task of acquiring a broadcasting licence for the UK’s first foreign-language television service, Takis’ idea finally came to fruition.

HTV continued to provide programming that appealed to its steadily expanding subscriber base, increasing its daily schedule to 17 hours by linking with national broadcasters ERT Greece and CyBC. “Our schedule featured local productions with programming centred on the Greek and Cypriot communities in London, including music performances and Greek films,” Takis said.

Three years after its official inauguration, HTV had evolved into one of the UK’s most influential community channels, impressing the likes of Tony Currie, one of the most experienced cable television executives in Great Britain. “Never before, in the history of television, was so much produced, by so very few people for so few,” Currie said in an interview.

As the channel became a household name among the Greek and Cypriot communities, the growth of HTV coincided with the advancement of technology, ushering in a new era of digitalisation. “The channel extended its broadcasting worldwide, as one of the first Greek channels on the internet,” Takis told Living. “Thanks to new digital technology, HTV has developed into a multi-channel Greek platform with two stations that serve the community today.”

Takis attributes HTV’s success to its strong and efficient team, which is working tirelessly to keep the station a staple in the communities it serves. “Our primary focus will always be on preserving and promoting our cultural heritage in the UK and serving as a link between the diaspora and our places of origin.”

Based in Wood Green, in the London borough of Haringey, HTV airs a variety of programmes from its studios that include entertainment shows, documentaries, educational series, talk shows, sporting events and cultural programmes. “We work together with independent local radio station London Greek Radio and Greek Cypriot community newspaper Parikiaki to strengthen our voice and presence within the diaspora,” Takis said.

“The radio, newspaper, and television are an essential part of the British broadcasting landscape and are still very pervasive mediums. They are a vital part of the fabric of the British Greek and Cypriot communities, which they serve.”

Takis revealed that he never imagined he would be making history when he first went out to accomplish his work. “I enjoyed what I was doing, and I feel it is my duty to provide a platform that inspires people, especially the younger generation, to become ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus while growing up in the United Kingdom.”

Home to the largest community outside Cyprus, the Cypriot diaspora is thriving in all walks of life. With countless organisations, associations, community centres, sporting clubs, churches and businesses, the Cypriots of the United Kingdom are a dynamic force that continue to serve British society, “and Hellenic TV is proud to showcase their achievements for over three decades and counting.”