[HCDX] Independence of Greek public broadcaster questioned

[Zacharias LIangas <zliagas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please reply to zliangas@xxxxxxxxx


'They raped our values': Independence of Greek public broadcaster questioned
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/11/19/they-raped-our-values-journalists-
question-independence-greeks-new-public
 
IMAGES 03 1/03  VIDEO 1/  AUDIO
This week staff from Greece's temporary public broadcaster, DT, will move into a 
building that used to headquarter ERT, the nation's public broadcaster for 70 years. 
The government says the new, permanent broadcaster will be up and running in two 
month's time, but its independence is under question.
By Christine Heard 

The government shut ERT down almost six months ago, but had to hastily create DT in 
order to remain a member of the European Union.

The government announcement was immediate and abrupt.

"All this stops today. It definitely stops. The government has decided to close down 
ERT."

It accused ERT of being wasteful, inefficient and unpopular. But the move was also 
designed to show Greece's lenders, known as the Trioka, that the government was 
reforming the public sector.

LISTEN: SBS Dateline reporter Amos Roberts talks to SBS Radio's Ron Sutton about 
covering the story.


Greece lost three TV channels, more than two dozen radio stations, a choir and two 
orchestras.
Vasso Morali worked at ERT for almost 30 years and now runs the Greek radio program 
at SBS.

She says there was waste and cronyism at the national broadcaster, but the closure 
was more extreme than necessary.

"Troika had demanded the sacrifice - and the government considered ERT as the perfect 
victim," Vasso Morali told SBS.
 
Riding a wave of public support, former ERT staff continued to occupy the building, 
producing daily radio and TV programs.

Sound engineers and musicians became security guards and boom gate operators, with 
the volunteers expecting, at any moment, to be evicted.

Especially when the government - under orders from a Greek court - set up DT, a new 
interim public broadcaster just down the road.

Many former ERT employees went to work at DT and some condemned the occupation of ERT 
headquarters.

"The building and the infrastructure of ERT belongs to the Greek people," DT news 
presenter Prokopis Dukas said. "They do not belong to the employees."

It sparked a political divide too as government politicians boycotted ERT programs 
and the Opposition refused to appear on DT.

Finally, five months after ERT closed, Greek riot police stormed the building, 
evicting those who were left.

Scuffles broke out, teargas was fired - but no one was arrested.

ERT TV presenter Marilena Katsimi says there is a lot of anger over the turn of 
events.

"They raped our values, they raped our personalities, they raped our rights, 
everything."

The government says a new, permanent broadcaster will be up and running early next 
year.

But even its supporters have doubts it will be independent.

my radio shack: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/zliangas/album/282394
http://delicious.com/gr_greek1/zak (all my pages )





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