The aim of GIOTA is to create an interest for more significant radio amateur activity among Greek and foreign radio amateurs centralizing on the Greek islands.

The creation of GIOTA began in 2005 by the AEGEAN DX GROUP which is also responsible for the administration, projection and development of the programme.

GIOTA is supported by the periodical internet edition of Greek radio amateurs 5-9 report (www.5-9report.gr) which is also the sponsor or the Greek Islands On The Air award programme.    

GIOTA is also supported by the Union of Radio Amateurs of the Central Aegean “EPKA” SZ8S which also funds the Greek Islands On The Air award programme.   

GIOTA is backed by the majority of radio amateur unions, clubs and teams based on the Greek islands.

Without a doubt the Islands On The Air award programme of RSGB has boosted the radio amateurs of islands around the world and subsequently those of the Greek islands as well.

However, IOTA is based on island groups and as a result there is little interest in activating smaller islands, islets, skerries or even rocks, which belong to larger groups and can be easily activated by visiting a larger island.

For example, there is no interest in activating Kastellorizos

(IOTA EU 001), which is 7 hours by boat southeast of Rhodes or the islets of  Sofrana (IOTA EU-001), 60 miles northwest of Karpathos, since large islands such as Rhodes and Kos and others, which are easily reached, belong to the same group.

This is why we have identified each island individually by assigning a separate reference number.    

We believe that the great enthusiasm which has been noted recently for the activation of islands, islets and skerries in the Greek Seas by many Greek DX groups and teams as well as visitors and fellow radio amateurs of other countries will become even greater since there will now be special interest in each island, islet, skerry or even rock of the Greek Seas individually.

However, the GIOTA award programme, in its formal charts, lists the reference numbers of the islands which belong to the Islands Groups of IOTA next to the GIOTA reference numbers acknowledging in this way the great contribution of the RSGB IOTA Award Programme to island stations.