Greek Government Shuts Down State Broadcaster

GENEVA: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has stepped in to urge the Greek government to reverse its decision to shut down the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT).

The government made the decision to close the public television and radio broadcaster in an effort to save money, calling ERT a case of "incredible waste." It said that the closure and firing 2,500 workers would save taxpayers money. ERT’s total funding in 2011 was 328.76 million euros; it has declined over the past years, down 15 percent compared with 2008. Following the news, thousands of protesters took to the streets in front of ERT’s Athens headquarters, and journalists continue to stream live broadcasts online.

In a letter sent to Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Jean Paul Philippot, the president of the EBU, and Ingrid Deltenre, the EBU’s director-general, urged Samaras “to use all his powers to immediately reverse this decision.” The letter

stresses the importance of public service media as an essential pillar of democratic and pluralistic societies across Europe. “While we recognize the need to make budgetary savings, national broadcasters are more important than ever at times of national difficulty. This is not to say that ERT need be managed less efficiently than a private company. Naturally, all public funds must be spent with the greatest of care.” 

Greek journalist unions have called for strikes until ERT is reopened.