Greece suspends state broadcaster ERT to save money

Greece's state broadcaster has been transmitting programmes for more than 70 years

 

The Greek government has announced that it will shut down the radio and TV services of the state broadcaster ERT.

A government spokesman said transmissions would cease early on Wednesday.
All employees, numbering at least 2,500, will be suspended until the company reopens "as soon as possible."
It is the latest move in successive rafts of spending cuts and tax rises that the government hope will lead the country out of recession.
"ERT is a case of an exceptional lack of transparency and incredible extravagance. This ends now," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said, according to the AFP news agency.
Unions voiced strong opposition to the move.
An engineer at the broadcaster's multimedia department who gave his name as Yannis said: "The government announced that channels will shut down at midnight - after that the screens will go black.
"According to the government, from tonight I will be unemployed. It is a complete shock. In four hours' time I will not have a job."
ERT is funded by a direct payment by of 4.30 euros (£3.80; $6) added monthly to electricity bills.
The broadcaster runs three domestic TV channels, four national radio stations, as well regional radio stations and an external service, Voice of Greece.
In April, parliament passed a bill which will see 15,000 state employees lose their jobs by the end of next year.
The law was a condition for Greece to receive its next tranche of loans from international lenders worth 8.8bn euros (£7.4bn; $11.4bn).
Since 2010, the European Union and the IMF have promised more than 200bn euros in lending for Greece, the first country to be hit by the eurozone crisis.
The government has imposed tough austerity measures in return for aid, including cuts in pay and pensions leading to numerous general strikes.