Tuesday, June 11, 2013

In Greece , not only won't the revolution be televised - the recovery won't be broadcast either ..... ERT to be shutdown by Greek Government

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-12/samaras-says-won%E2%80%99t-backdown-greek-broadcaster-closure-coalition-splinters


Samaras Says Won’t Backdown on Greek Broadcaster Closure As Coalition Splinters

Tyler Durden's picture




While we usually think of a butterfly's wings flapping as the cause of chaotic tornadoes around the world, in the case of Greece, it appears Samaras' comments that he "won't tolerate the sacred cows of Statism," after hisclosure of the nation's TV broadcaster ERT has sparked much more widespread angst than many could have known. Amid the coalition, the 'opposition' leader Tsipras has called for a "no-confidence" vote amid the "institutional coup." A fascinating development given that the Greeks quietly folded when they took away their pensions - but remove the TV and revolution is around the corner.
  • *KOUVELIS SAYS UNACCEPTABLE FOR ERT TO BE SHUT DOWN
  • *VENIZELOS SAYS ERT ISSUES SPARKED INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEM
  • *SAMARAS SAYS WE'RE SEEING FINAL SPASMS OF OLD SYSTEM
And the tension is rising since Samaras is adamant that "there is political will to change," and the ERT decision is a "symbol that wastage has ended." This is not going away.

Greece's fragile coalition government is in disarray after the prime minister tipped the country into an unexpected crisis following a decision to shut down the state broadcaster with immediate effect to meet bailout austerity measures.

The draconian move on Tuesday night, designed to prove that the government was serious about tackling the bloated public sector, has left the Greek public in shock, leaving 2,700 unemployed and prompting two general strikes planned for Thursday.

Opposition leader Alexis Tsiprasmet the Greek president Karolos Papoulias on Wednesday afternoon condemning the move as an"institutional coup". "Many times the word 'coup' is used as an exaggeration," he said. "In this case, it is not an exaggeration."

...

even the East Germans weren't as abrupt when the cold war ended and kept their own service on air as part of the transition to reunification of the country.

...

However part of the bailout programme, the government agreed with the troika to pass legislation by mid-August to make cuts in "non-essential public entities" including "asset management companies; construction companies; and public television stations".

Deltenre said: "In every country where the troika have turned up, the public service broadcasters have been put under enormous pressure ... they push governments to something and the result is wrong," she said.


http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_12/06/2013_504120

Coalition partners seek compromise with Samaras on ERT

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s coalition partners, Evangelos Venizelos of PASOK and Fotis Kouvelis of Democratic Left, appealed to him on Wednesday for talks on the future of state broadcaster ERT but the premier stood by his decision to close and later reopen the TV and radio service, leaving the government’s future in doubt.

Venizelos and Kouvelis met for almost two hours on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the fallout from the closure of ERT, which came a few hours after the government announced its plans on Tuesday. After the meeting, although both leaders made their opposition to the strategy clear, they also left the door open to a compromise with Samaras.

“The government can carry on and complete its work if it can secure some common ground,” said Kouvelis in the wake of speculation that the coalition rift over the handling of ERT could even lead Greece to snap elections. The Democratic Left (DIMAR) leader requested talks with the prime minister “to find common political ground, especially on the issues where our differences in political views are visible, such as in the case of ERT.”

Kouvelis, however, insisted that any discussions would have to take place while ERT is still broadcasting. He labeled Tuesday’s move to take the state broadcaster off air as “unacceptable.” “ERT undoubtedly has need of restructuring but this has to happen while it remains open,” he said.
Venizelos followed a similar line, saying the broadcaster should not be closed and calling for a meeting with Samaras to address the issue.

“We want fundamental reform of the public administration, including state broadcasting, but one that is agreed and voted by Parliament, and with ERT functioning,” said the PASOK leader.
Samaras, however, appeared far from willing to compromise. Speaking at the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA) on Wednesday night he said that the closing down of ERT was justified because it had become “the symbol of waste and lack of transparency.”

“This ended yesterday,” said the prime minister, who did not make any reference to the earlier request by Kouvelis and Venizelos for talks. “We are not closing down public radio and television,” he said. “In fact, it is only now that we are going to get proper public radio and television.”

The three leaders had met on Sunday to discuss structural reforms, and the subject of what to do with ERT came up then. Venizelos and Kouvelis voiced objections to the broadcaster being shut down. Samaras’s decision to proceed with the plan has placed the coalition’s future in doubt. However, sources close to the prime minister insisted he has no intention of triggering early elections. At the same time, though, it is not clear what kind of compromise could be found.

The government presented on Wednesday a draft law for the new public broadcaster it wants to set up, under the name of NERIT. As opposed to more than 2,600 staff employed by ERT, the new service would have close to 1,000 employees and would cost 100 million euros to run compared to the 300 million ERT absorbed. PASOK and DIMAR submitted to Parliament on Wednesday a proposal for the legislative act permitting ERT’s immediate closure to be scrapped.

ERT employees, meanwhile, continued to broadcast in defiance of the government’s shutdown. Using digital frequencies and the Internet to reach viewers, journalists and technicians put out shows featuring discussions about ERT’s role throughout the day. Thousands of protesters had also gathered outside the broadcaster’s headquarters in Aghia Paraskevi, northeastern Athens, on Tuesday night and remained there until the early hours of Wednesday.



http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2013/06/12/ert-shutdown-greeks-say-this-is-junta/



ERT shutdown: Greeks say “This is junta!”

Posted by  in Society
“This is junta!” Giorgos’ comment is very clear when I ask him what does he think of ERT’s shutdown. “An overnight decision that brings totally upside down. That’s the very point: the citizen does not know what will happen to him, from one day to the next.” Giorgos, 30,  is jobless since one year. He still tries to get his outstanding salaries from his former employer: a total of 4,000 euro. He tries to set up a small, his own business but he feels depressed from the set backs. “You know what? You make your plans for the very near future and a government decision smash your dreams. There can be no confidence. Today they close down the public broadcaster. Tomorrow they can close down your business. With only one decision, the signature of a single minister.”
“This is like the junta’s we decide and order”, said Maria 60, pointing to the announcements of the Greek colonels who used to make public their decisions with the standard phase “We decide and order, that…”.
“They want to destroy us, to crash us and they put us under psychological pressure every once in a while,” Maria adds raising her voice in outrage. “Today ERT, tomorrow somebody else, next month maybe me, my home, my family. When they break such taboos like shutting down the public broadcaster overnight, who will protect me as a single citizen? ”
Although Maria could be Giorgos’ mother in terms of age, they both share the same fear: that the citizen is totally unprotected towards the arbitration of the government. A view shared also by Eleni, 45:
“If they use this totalitarian policy towards their own people…HA! can you imagine what will happen with the average citizen who has not connections to nomenclatura? Masses of people can lose their jobs overnight, because an idiot decides so.”
ERT junta
ERT employees’ banner: “Down with Junta. ERT does not shut down!”
Giorgos, Maria, Eleni  agree that the hydrocephalus public broadcaster ERT with several radio & TV channels and 2,656 employees  had to be reformed. To be cleaned from a number of people on the payroll who never performed any work.had
It was not a secret that the public broadcaster was turned into a state company, where every government exploited it in order to spread its own propaganda and find a job for its own people. this situation was tolerated by the ERT unionists for many years.
Everybody here knew that ERT was mutated into a state-employer pool for children of  party officials, party affiliated journalists or not, and aspiring lawmakers who failed to secure a place in the parliament during elections. A job as ‘adviser’ could bring a gross salary of 3,500 euro per month. Hiring last summer, while the country was already in the bailout program.  A daily program presenter with or without talent would earn also 3,500 euro gross just because she happened to be the daughter of…
A reform was urgently needed. But the problem is not the ERT … it’s a problem of democracy and democratic procedures.
“Nice parliamentary democracy we have here, nice coalition government,” said Nikos, 40, laughing. “Samaras takes a decision alone, Kedikoglou [government spokesman & minister in charge of the media & ERT] announces at noon that ERT will be shut down at midnight.  Just like that. Even in worst dictatorships these things do not happen. I wonder, why we go to cast votes in elections. They think, we are animals?”
Quite some Greeks wonder, what exactly Samaras wanted to achieve with the sudden ERT shut down: to fill bailout program targets, like that it had to lay-off 2,000 civil servants in May but it failed to do so.  The Troika demanded results in June. ERT seemed to be an easy target with 2,656 lay-offs in one stroke. BINGO! June target of lay-0ffs achieved on a Tuesday.
Others try to find out what exactly Samaras is doing: risking his coalition government and push for early elections in order to refresh the public order to him to govern the country? Is he surrounded by dilettante advisers who give him fatal hints?
But many try to find a word to describe the new style of governance we are exposed to. Can we call it post-democracyMeta-democracy, maybe? Or just a Troikracy? I think, the last proposal is the most appropriate…
*Names have been changed.
**Troicracy = Troika+-cratos










PASOK, Democratic Left working on joint bill to reverse ERT decision, sources say


Coalition partners PASOK and Democratic Left were said on Wednesday to be working on a joint draft bill that could reverse a decision taken by the government to close down national broadcaster ERT, Kathimerini understands.
Socialist PASOK’s political council was expected to meet at 3 p.m. on the same day.

ekathimerini.com , Wednesday June 12, 2013 (11:50)  



GSEE, ADEDY annnounce strike for Thursday


Greece’s two largest public and private unions, GSEE and ADEDY have announced a 24-hour-strike for Thursday.
The move was billed as a solidarity act in the wake of the government’s decision to close down national broadcaster ERT late on Tuesday and replace it with a new radio, television and Internet network.

ekathimerini.com , Wednesday June 12, 2013 (12:40)  




Papoulias speaks of his 'inability' to intervene in ERT issue during meeting with Tsipras


Greek President Karolos Papoulias expressed his inability to intervene with regard to the closure of public broadcaster ERT in a meeting with SYRIZA head Alexis Tsipras.
During the meeting Papoulias noted the need for a state television network.
Tsipras referred to ERT’s closing down as a “blow to democracy, to freedom of speech and social cohesion.”
The SYRIZA chief also argued that the ERT issue had undermined the institution of the presidency in general, essentially turning the President of the Greek Republic into "a clerk in charge of notifying employees that they are being laid off."
“We believe the last thing left to defend in this country are institutions and democracy,” said Tsipras.

ekathimerini.com , Wednesday June 12, 2013 (15:14)  









http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jun/12/greek-journalists-close-state-broadcaster-ert



Greek journalists defy government order to close state broadcaster

ERT, Hellenic Broadcasting Corp, was ordered to shut down as part of public spending cuts, but remained on air via the internet

• Click here to see ERT's Ustream broadcast
ERT
ERT journalists at the state broadcaster’s headquarters continue to work, despite a government order to close down. Photograph: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images
Journalists from Greece's state broadcaster ERT have defied a government order to close it down as part of the latest public spending cuts imposed to meet the terms of the country's bailout deal.
ERT, or Hellenic Broadcasting Corp, ceased broadcasting in some locations overnight on Tuesday as the government imposed shutdown took effect, with screens going blank and 2,500 staff fired with immediate effect. It is believed to be the first time a state broadcaster in Europe has been closed down by its government in the post-war era, with the move attracting widespread condemnation from inside Greece and also overseas.
ERT employees managed to keep the service going through the night and have continued broadcasting on the internet via Ustream, while thousands of protesters remained outside its headquarters north of Athens.
Greece's Conservative-led coalition government said the move was required to cut "incredible waste" and that it planned to reopen a smaller state broadcasting operation at a later date.
However, opposition to the ERT shutdown snowballed overnight, threatening to blow up into a major political crisis for the Greek government nearly a year after it took office.
The European Broadcasting Union, the body which represents all public service broadcasters in Europe, expressed dismay at the decision to close ERT, which became a founding member of the EBU in 1950. The EBU is on standby to step in and try and help ERT fully reopen.
Jean Paul Philippot, EBU president, and its director general Ingrid Deltenre wrote to the Greek prime minister urging him to "use all his powers to immediately reverse this decision".
In the letter, they said: "While we recognise the need to make budgetary savings, national broadcasters are more important than ever at times of national difficulty."
The European Federation of Journalists said the shutdown of Greece's state broadcaster was "absurd".
EFJ president Mogens Blicher-Bjerregård said: "These plans are simply absurd. It will be a major blow to democracy, to media pluralism and to journalism as a public good in Greece, thus depriving citizens from their right to honest, level-headed and unbiased information. But it will also mean the loss of many journalists' jobs across the country."
Greek journalist unions called a 24-hour strike, halting TV news on rival commercial channels, while Conservative prime minister Antonis Samaras is facing demands from his coalition partners, the socialist Pasok and Democratic Left party, to reverse the decision to close ERT.
The executive order to close ERT must be ratified by parliament within three months but cannot be approved without backing from Samaras's minority coalition partners.
Leftwing opposition leader Alexis Tsipras criticised the closure as "illegal" during an interview on ERT's online broadcast. "Many times the word 'coup' is used as an exaggeration," he said. "In this case, it is not an exaggeration."
Tsipras said he would meet the country's president, Karolos Papoulias, on Wednesday and ask him to cancel an executive order he signed allowing the government to close ERT.
The decision to close ERT was announced during an inspection in Athens by officials from Greece's bailout creditors. The so-called "troika" of the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund has been pressing the government to start a long-delayed programme to lay off civil servants.
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou promised on Tuesday to reopen ERT at an unspecified later date.
Despite tensions over a number of issues, notably related to the austerity measures demanded by Greece's international creditors, the coalition government has surprised many by surviving thus far. It has also been credited with stabilising the bailed out Greek economy and easing the threat of an exit from the Euro.
Five days ago, the IMF admitted it made mistakes in handling Greece's first €110bn (£93bn) bailout in 2010 by framing the repayment programme on a model with growth assumptions that were too high. A second €130bn rescue package was approved in February 2012.
The IMF's original Greek unemployment projection was 15%, whereas it is now running at 25%. By comparison, unemployment in Ireland, which was also bailed out in 2010 but has not had the structural problems of Greece, has remained stubbornly high, hovering at just under 15% – twice that of the UK – for the past three years.


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-12/crisis-and-chaos-return-greece-following-broadcaster-shutdown


Crisis And Chaos Return To Greece Following National TV Shutdown

Tyler Durden's picture




A week ago we joked that Greece was rapidly sliding into the "fourth world" (and had the photos to prove it). Well, today Equity Index provider MSCI took our joke and made it into something way too serious when overnight it made Greece the first developed nation ever to be downgraded into "emerging market" status. Not quite fourth world, but that too will come. However, what's worse for Greece is that as we reported yesterday, the majority of Greeks have no way of learning about this following the governmental "temporary" shutdown of its one national TV prodier, ERT. Kathimerini followedup with news that ERT would be renamed to NERIT, the New Hellenic Radio Internet and Television - a state company owned by the public sector and regulated by the state, and relaunched by the end of August, however what matters to the public is that the vast majority of employees would likely be let go permanently.
However, the biggest news out of Greece is that the events in the 24 hours have pushed the depressed country right back into crisis mode, with political bickering front and center (the opposition leader called the uncoordinated move "a coup" even as coalition partners blasted the broadcaster shutdown while Europe washed it hands), while the economic contraction is set to accelerate once more following what is certain to be another escalation in daily protests and riots. And who can blame them - with that last civilizational "premium" - free TV for all - gone, what else is there to do?
From Reuters:
Greece's fragile government faced an internal revolt and fierce public protest on Wednesday over the sudden closure of state broadcaster ERT, hours after the humiliation of seeing its bourse downgraded to emerging market status. The twin setbacks, coupled with the derailing of a troubled privatization program, blew a hole in rising investor confidence that had prompted Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to declare the risk of a "Grexit" from the euro was dead and a "Greekovery" was under way.

Yields on Greece's 10-year benchmark bond crept back above 10 percent after Athens failed to sell state gas firm DEPA on Monday, leaving it short of cash to meet its international bailout targets.

The stock market traded at two-month lows after Greece became the first developed nation ever to be lowered to emerging market by equity index provider MSCI.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's government declined comment on the market reclassification as it tried to fend off a growing media backlash against ERT's dramatic closure. The public broadcaster was yanked off air just hours after the shutdown was announced in what the government said was a temporary measure to staunch an "incredible waste" of taxpayers' money prior to relaunching a slimmed-down station.

Labor unions called a 24-hour national work stoppage for Thursday and journalists went on an open-ended strike, forcing a news blackout on privately owned television and newspapers. "The strike will only end when the government takes back this coup d'etat which gags information," the journalists' union said.

Some ERT journalists were occupying the broadcaster's building in defiance of police orders and broadcasting over the Internet. Hundreds of employees and protesters gathered outside.
Ah, the smell of Greek chaos in the morning - it smells like normalcy. In retrospect, it appears only the Greeks did not see this coming. When the country handed over its sovereignty to the European Commission, all of the subsequent events were perfectly clear for all to see.
Perhaps the biggest irony is that the state broadcaster was one of the more fervent supporters of the regime, gladly ignoring the flaws in the administration and focusing on what little positives there was. It will no longer have this chance:
Many Greeks have little love for ERT journalists and the state broadcaster is often cited as an example of inefficiency, overspending and jobs given in return for political favors.

But the speed and suddenness of the shutdown - ERT screens abruptly went black just before midnight - stunned Greeks long used to the slow pace of public sector restructuring.

"This government's ways are dictatorial: they decide and they order," said 45-year old Panagiotis, who declined to give his full name for fear of losing his own public sector job.

"It was a wrong move. Yes, the public sector needs to be downsized and we all knew that ERT was being used for political favors but they did not need to fire them all."
Coming back full circle, once more the biggest threat to Greece, to Europe and the Euro, is coming from Greece, where the events in the 24 hours may have destabilized the government enough to hand over power to the anti-bailout party, Syriza:
Many Greeks have little love for ERT journalists and the state broadcaster is often cited as an example of inefficiency, overspending and jobs given in return for political favors.

But the speed and suddenness of the shutdown - ERT screens abruptly went black just before midnight - stunned Greeks long used to the slow pace of public sector restructuring.

"This government's ways are dictatorial: they decide and they order," said 45-year old Panagiotis, who declined to give his full name for fear of losing his own public sector job.

"It was a wrong move. Yes, the public sector needs to be downsized and we all knew that ERT was being used for political favors but they did not need to fire them all."

The closure opened cracks in Samaras's fragile three-party coalition. Samaras's two junior partners, the Socialist PASOK and the Democratic Left said they would oppose the decision.

Both parties said they had not been consulted but stopped short of saying the row could bring the government down.
So-called experts are appalled by the possibility of early elections:
"It's anyone's guess what would happen in elections now and what impact it would have on the economy at a time when a so-called Greekovery is visible on the distant horizon." The decision was taken by ministerial decree, meaning that it can be implemented without immediate reference to parliament. But the communist opposition said it would put a legislative amendment to parliament on Wednesday to annul the decision. Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras was to meet State President Karolos Papoulias to protest against the decision. On Tuesday, he called the closure "a coup, not only against ERT workers but against the Greek people", and accused the government of the "historic responsibility of gagging state TV".
Wait, Greekovery? That's a new (if idiotic) one. Is that abbreviated to "reek"? And in what nation is your GDP crashing to Year 2000 levels indicative of even the faintest "recovery"?
Oh yes, Greece.




















http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/greek-ert-shutdown-there-was-no-good-reason-to-do-this-and-six-damning-reasons-suggesting-it-had-nothing-to-do-with-money/


GREEK ERT SHUTDOWN: There was no good reason to do this, and six damning reasons suggesting it had nothing to do with money.

Mainstream news blackout blacked out

mcmanusMick McManus throttles Greek shutdown news
There are three observations I have to make this morning about the switch-off of Greek State television:
1. In the United Kingdom, it’s as if it never happened. The BBCNews channel isn’t carrying the story at all, it isn’t even at the Telegraph under “News – eurozone’,  and at the UK’s Balanced News site covering all UK papers, there isn’t a single mention of it.
2. Where the story has been covered by international media and news sites, there is a hook, line and sinker swallow of ‘to save cash’ as the motive behind the move.
3. Brussels hasn’t reacted to the news at all. One of its eurozone members shuts down the main TV and internet reception (plus radio) without warning, and yet the EU sees no problem posed for free speech at all. They will, of course, have known about the shut-down in advance – and ERT isn’t exactly the most independent State telly on the planet.
I am left to ask the questions that the MSM doesn’t seem interested in, viz:
1. If the stations have been such a money-pit shambles for years, why did drug, hospital and teaching staff cuts come first?
2. If the shutdown was purely to save money, why didn’t New Democracy tell any of its Coalition partners – both of whom have condemned the move?
3. Why does all the feedback I’ve had from Athenian and expat contacts thus far suggest the move is political – given they come from a broad spectrum of political views:
“The ERT building on Mesogion is now totally surrounded by MAT police. FYI these are the worst, most violent branch of the police, the anti-terrorist police….PASOK & DIMAR refused to sign [the decree which] gives the government the power to shut down public entities – it seems WITHOUT a vote in parliament.”
The hurdles facing the Greek government when cutting down the State to size are indeed formidable; and the Troika is back in town dishing out it’s usual mix of the illegal and the impossibly silly. But the argument that New Democracy shut down the station purely to save money simply doesn’t hold water. Quite apart from the factors enumerated above, it seems that PASOK supporters exist in higher numbers in TV and radio, and if the ‘coalition’ (now revealed as a sham) wanted to purge the public sector of 2,500 employees, it could fire the New Dawners who have so perniciously infiltrated the police force there. The employees at ERT represent under 1% of State sector jobs, and a much lower percentage than that of the overhead.
The two most disturbing trends here are not consulting PASOK, and not including Parliament in the process. Effectively, this makes the decree one of ‘Special Powers’ emergency importance. The closure of ERT looks like Greece’s Reichstag Fire moment to me. But not, it seems, to the mainstream media or the EU. When the British press think that the funeral of ancient, washed-up wrestler Mick McManus is more newsworthy than the closure of a national European broadcaster, we might as well write them off entirely to a diet of yelling through letter boxes at celebs, and setting up two-bit political Yeomanry whom the proprietors dislike.











Greek "Recovery" May No Longer Be Televised Following "Transitory" Shut Down Of National Broadcaster

Tyler Durden's picture




The Greek recovery (whose GDP recently plunged to year 2000 levels) is progressing as expected, however following the latest news out of the Fourth world country that its national broadcaster ERT, with 2800 employees, will be shut down, it may no longer be televised. There is hope though: following its shutdown, it will be reopened... eventually...  following a substantial downsizing. It is not clear why ERT had to be shutdown just to fire a few hundred people, although union rules are likely implicated. It is also not clear how long until the process is completed. What is clear is that the local workers are unhappy and have already resorted to that favorite Greek pastime: protesting. But at least they have the Euro.
From Kathimerini:
Greek government is set to close down the country’s public broadcaster and re-open it with fewer employees, Kathimerini understands.

Sources said that Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has already taken the decision to pull the plug on the broadcaster in its current form and the government has started drawing up the relevant legislation.

ERT currently employees 2,800 people. It is not clear how many employees will remain but sources indicated it would be a fraction of those in work at the moment.

Greece has to fire 2,000 civil servants by the end of the year and 15,000 by the end of 2014.

Those leaving will do so either via voluntary redundancy, early retirement or dismissal.

It is not clear how this will affect ERT’s various services, including TV and radio stations. It is also not clear how quickly the process could be carried out.

A legislative decree was published in the Government Gazette that allows for public enterprises to be restructured in this way.

Junior coalition partner Democratic Left said in a statement on Tuesday that it would be “inconceivable” for Greece not to have a national broadcaster.
"You keep using that word... I don't think it means what you think it means."

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_11/06/2013_503960


PM gambles on closure of state broadcaster ERT


Prime Minister Antonis Samaras potentially staked the future of his coalition government on Tuesday on a decision to shut down public broadcaster ERT and dismiss some 2,700 employees, a choice that did not have the approval of his coalition partners and was met with derision from opposition parties and TV and radio employees.

Although there had been rumors over the past few days that the government would opt for closing ERT as a way to reduce civil servant numbers, Tuesday’s announcement by spokesman Simos Kedikoglou took millions of Greeks by surprise. Kedikoglou claimed that ERT suffered from a “lack of transparency” and was a source of waste.

“The Greek people are paying for ERT, which has three times, even eight times, as much staff as it needs,” he said. The government, he said, was sacrificing one of the public sector’s “sacred cows.” Greeks pay roughly 300 million euros a year in license fees for ERT that are levied through their electricity bills. Kedikoglou said that these charges would not apply until a leaner and more efficient public broadcaster is set up.
Sources told Kathimerini that Samaras had discussed the closure of ERT with several close advisers and government officials and saw the move as one that would show his determination to carry out the structural reforms being demanded by Greece’s lenders.

Kathimerini also understands that the premier brought up the issue with his coalition partners, Evangelos Venizelos of PASOK and Fotis Kouvelis of Democratic Left, when the trio met on Monday. Venizelos and Kouvelis refused to give their consent for ERT to be closed down even though Greece has promised the troika it would sack 2,000 civil servants this summer, 4,000 by the end of the year and 14,000 by the end of 2014. The ministers from the two junior parties did not sign the legislative act published in the Government Gazette yesterday allowing public enterprises to be shut down.

The announcement prompted terse responses from both coalition partners, who said they had not been involved in the decision, and sharp criticism from opposition parties. “The state broadcaster cannot be closed down,” PASOK said in a statement, adding that the party supported “bold and genuine reforms” but opposed “irresponsible and dangerous public relations stunts.” PASOK spokesman Yiannis Maniatis also slammed conservative New Democracy for sidelining the junior partners. “A coalition government comprising three partners cannot function through faits accomplis,“ Maniatis said, adding that “important matters must be decided by all party leaders.”

Democratic Left, for its part, issued a statement saying that it “radically disagreed” with the closure of ERT, adding that it was “inconceivable” for a European country not to have a state television channel, even for an hour.

SYRIZA leader, Alexis Tsipras, called on both coalition partners to take “a clear position” on the move, which he described as “a coup d’etat” and said his party was considering bringing a censure motion against the government if it goes ahead with the closure.



http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_12/06/2013_503983


Journalist unions call media strike to protest ERT closure as employees continue broadcasting


The Athens Journalists’ Union (ESIEA) called a 48-hour strike from 6 a.m. on Wednesday on TV and radio stations to protest the closure of state broadcaster ERT.

ESIEA said newspaper journalists would strike on Thursday for 24 hours.

There was also a six-hour stoppage on TV and radio on Tuesday after the government announced it would closing ERT and later opening a new broadcaster with fewer employees.

Despite the signal to ERT’s TV channels being lost shortly after 11 p.m. on Tuesday, employees at the broadcasters headquarters in Athens and Thessaloniki refused to leave the buildings and managed to resume broadcasts via digital TV and the Internet.

The Communist Party (KKE) also offered the frequency of its TV station, 902, to rebroadcast ERT’s programs.
Thousands of people protesting the broadcaster’s closure had gathered outside ERT’s headquarters in northeastern Athens.

A number of political leaders, including SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras and Independent Greeks’ Panos Kammenos, visited the building to express their solidarity with the protestors.



http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_12/06/2013_503982



European Broadcasting Union expresses dismay at closure of ERT, calls on PM for reversal


The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) expressed on Tuesday its “profound dismay” at the Greek government’s decision to shut down Greek broadcaster ERT with immediate effect.

The government said it would reopen a leaner version of public radio and TV at a later date but the EBU called on Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to reverse the decision to close the broadcaster.

The President of the EBU, Jean Paul Philippot and the EBU Director General, Ingrid Deltenre, highlighted the need for ERT to remain on air.

“The existence of public service media and their independence from government lie at the heart of democratic societies, and therefore any far-reaching changes to the public media system should only be decided after an open and inclusive democratic debate in Parliament – and not through a simple agreement between two government ministers,” the EBU said.

“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,” Philippot and Deltenre said in their letter.


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