Director-Generals of Euro Pubcasters Demand ERT Restoration

GENEVA: The director-generals of Europe’s major public broadcasters, including the BBC’s Tony Hall, ZDF’s Thomas Bellut and France Télévision’s Remy Pflimlin, have signed a statement from the European Broadcasting Union calling for Greece’s ERT to be restored immediately.

The Greek government has shut down national pubcaster ERT in an effort to save money; the authorities called the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation an "incredible waste."

The EBU statement protesting the decision was signed by 50 public-service broadcaster leaders in 39 markets. "This undemocratic and unprofessional action of the Greek government undermines the existence of public service media in Greece and its independence from the government," the statement reads.
 
The EBU has sent the document to the Greek government. This follows an open letter from EBU president Jean-Paul Philippot and director general Ingrid Deltenre to Greek PM Antonis Samaras pointing out that “public service media and their independence from Government lie at the heart of democratic societies."