Posted on 06/17/2013 10:10:59 AM PDT by longtermmemmory
Employees defied the government shutdown and continued to broadcast live coverage of the protests online after over-the-air transmissions were blocked.
The Greek government's decision to pull the plug on its national public broadcaster has sparked major protests with media workers, politicians and members of the public gathering outside offices of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, the ERT, in Athens.
Greece's conservative government shut off ERT's signal Tuesday night, hours after announcing that the public broadcaster, which costs Greek taxpayers around $400 million (€300 million) a year would be closed as part of national austerity programs.
Greece has already drastically slashed public services in an attempt to comply with cost-cutting measures required to secure bailout funds from European and international institutions.
STORY: Greece's Thessaloniki Fest Forced to Abandon Cash Prizes, May Face More Cuts
ERT's three national TV channels as well as its national and regional radio stations where taken off air at midnight local time. ERT's 2,600 employees were laid off and asked to reapply for their jobs as part of a new, leaner and supposedly independent media organization the government says will replace the old ERT.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an association which represents public broadcasters across the continent, expressed its “profound dismay” at the Greek government's decision.
In an open letter to Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, the president of the EBU, Jean-Paul Philippot, and EBU director general Ingrid Deltenre urged Mr. Samaras “to use all his powers to immediately reverse this decision." The EBU argued that such “far-reaching changes to the public media system” should only be made after an “inclusive democratic debate” in Greece's parliament, not through government diktat.
“While we recognize the need to make budgetary savings,” the letter reads “national broadcasters are more important than ever at times of national difficulty.”
The closure has shocked many in Greece and elsewhere. Shortly after the announcement, crowds began to gather outside ERT's Athens headquarters.
The Greek shutdown has also lit up social media, with the Twitter hashtag #EPT trending worldwide.
Unions representing media workers called for a general media blackout in protest and private TV channels complied, taking shows off the air for six hours, replacing them with reruns and advertisements.
ERT employees defied the government shutdown and continued to broadcast live coverage of the protests online after over-the-air transmissions were blocked.
ERT's online feed, at www.ert.gr, appeared still to be working by late morning local time on Wednesday.
The US MSM has not covered this story. They have blacked it out censored by omission in order to avoid, probably, similar actions in the USA.
Do we really need to fund NPR?
Why is there a CBS, NBC, ABC news if the are all the same with even the same commercials.
Why do we even need a washington bureau if all they do just just repeat WH press releases verbatim without analysis?
They Killed Big Bird!!!
And Cookie Monster!
Oh the Hughmanity!
They should sell it, privatize it.
That is part of what is happening.
PBS has a tax exempt status. That is what keeps it alive. Remove the PBS tax exempt status and suddenly Big Bird is paying his fair share of taxes.
They brought in Count von Count to handle their accounting.
Vahn euro, ha ha ha.
Two euros, ha, ha... wait, is that it? Two euros left int the entire budget.
They are trying to privatize it. New austerity laws allow the goverment to bypass the union roadblocks.
Remember Greece is a TINY country. For many this is the ONLY tv and for rural rural vilages, the ONLY radio.
think as one SMALL state of the USA, one time zone, and only two major cities.
bump
I’m guessing that EPT is probably more like the BBC or CBC (Canada) of Greece - a major player in the broadcast market, not the relatively fringe player that PBS/NPR is in the US.
Someday...sooner rather than later...Fox and talk radio will be shut down for some “emergency”...and won’t be allowed back on.
Think I’m crazy??? These people are dangerous...and they don’t like free speech.
You are right in the sense that Greeks pay an annual license fee to fund it. And I suppose they will continue to pay that, even after it is privatized.
Conservative government?
The Greek government is a coalition that is composed of a party that is centrist for Europe (New Democracy), a party that is a coalition of Socialist, Green, Maoist and Trotskyites (the Syriza Unionist Social Front), a hardcore socialist party (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) and a party of Stalinists (Communist Party of Greece).
There is nothing conservative about the Greek government.
look at the sources.
The blame is being made against conservatives beause those being ousted are socialists and communists. The Conservatives, like here in the US regarding PBS, have long sought to end public financing of the antique gov radio/tv system.
It is only natural for the communists to hate the capitalists.
Greece has private broadcasters....and all Greeks , even in remote areas....should have at least a number of terrestrial radio stations available...and many will still have TV
The signals are weak at best and there is no real national broadcasters like EPT.
The bottom line is that it is long overdue for EPT to be privatized. The commies who found a home there need to actually EARN their living.
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