Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation
Ellinikí Radiofonia tileorasi A. E. (ERT AE; Greek Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση, German Greek Radio and Television) was the public (until 2011: State ) radio and television station in Greece. On June 11, 2013, the Greek government decided the immediate closure of ERT and adjustment of all programs.
History
The history of the Greek broadcasting began in 1938 with the establishment of the Athens radio station Radiofonikos Stathmos Athinon. The first experimental television broadcasts follow in 1965 from the studios of the Greek broadcasting EIR ( Ethniko Idryma Radiofonias ) in Athens. On February 23, 1966 then finally launched the official broadcasting.
The company was called EIRT 1970 during the junta regime a compliant competition, named YENED, which was under a PR department of the armed forces. 1974 after the junta was to ERT2 YENED. Dimitris Horn was provisional director of the new radio station with two transmitters. On September 1, 1987, ERT3 as a regional station based in Thessaloniki on the air. He reported mainly through northern Greece, however, was to receive the whole country.
In the 1990s, the radio and the television were more separated, so that the names of the television programs that R had disappeared for Radiofonia.
2011, the Greek government decided to rebuild the state broadcaster into a public broadcaster. An extensive refurbishment of the station failed above all to resistance from the employees.
By 2013, ERT AE entertained in addition to the four television programs ( ET1 and ET3 and satellite NET and ERT World ) and four digital TV programs ( Prisma , Cine , Spor and Info ) and 29 radio stations of national and regional scope (NET, Deftero, Trito, ERA Spor, Cosmos, Makedonia, Radio Filia and so on ). All stations are submitted to the northeast of Athens from the ERT headquarters in Agia Paraskevi, with the exception of regional radio stations and the northern Greek ET3 from Thessaloniki. Were financed programs primarily from license fees and advertising revenue and government grants. The annual budget was in 2013 at about 205 million euros. ERT also maintained an Internet portal, a magazine, a digital archive and two orchestras. The market share of ERT declined steadily, none of the radio stations reached an audience of more than 1.5 %, and even the main news program only achieved a market share of 6%.
As a result of years of political patronage of the governments ERT had 5300 employees, of which some exorbitant salaries bezogen.Im June 2013 were 2656 employees in the ERT in 2006. The number of employees was seven times higher than comparable private broadcasters. The annual costs amounted to 300 million euros last. The government accused the ERT before transparency and waste and only saw the possibility of a radical step.
Closure
Following the decision of 8 November 2011 EU Council of Ministers to end the excessive deficit in Greece was adopted immediately to take action and initiate by " ministerial closing, the merger or significant downsizing entities. This applies to [ ... ] ERT, and 35 other smaller institutions. "
On June 11, 2013, the Greek Prime Minister decided, without the consent of his coalition partner and PASOK DIMAR, the closure of the ERT and announced the immediate shutdown of all transmitter to. The ERT Leaders oppose this measure and send it to this day all the programs of ERT on. On June 11, 2013, the transmitters were switched off under police protection on the orders of the government at about 21:00 UTC clock. Since then, the transmission range of ERT is to be received only via the Internet and satellite. Other media, such as the Cypriot public- service broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation ( CyBC ), whose servers were overloaded after a short time due to the high demand put the stream in solidarity with the ERT staff available. The CEOs of the major European public broadcasters condemn the action of the Greek government as " undemocratic and unprofessional " because it " undermines the existence of public service media in Greece". The signatories include the director of the Bavarian Radio for the ARD and the Directors-General of ZDF, SRG SSR, RTS and ORF.
The closure is seen in connection with the fulfillment of agreements with international donors (European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund), after which the dismissal of 4,000 civil servants is expected by the end of 2013 (see also the Greek financial crisis). Were closed three -governmental, nationally broadcast television programs, seven nationally broadcast radio programs and 19 regional radio stations. Instead of ERT is to be set at a significantly reduced number of employees ( approximately 1,200) in late August 2013, a new public- service broadcasting. The tentative name is NERIT ( Nea Elliniki Radiofonia Internet Tileorasi ), the transmission is scheduled to start in the fall. Up to recalibrate the collection of license fees ( around 50 euros per year) will be suspended. The closure met with fierce resistance not only the ERT staff and the political opposition. Even the smaller coalition partner and PASOK DIMAR were against it, so that the survival of the coalition government Samaras seems endangered. The Greek journalists' associations called for a strike.
In protest, the European Broadcasting Union switched (EBU ), a coalition of several broadcasters in Europe, whose members include the ERT counts on June 13, 2013, the satellite signal and the live stream with the ERT studios of the protesting employees continued to produce news program ERT NET on again after the signals had already been shut off on June 11, 2013 against 23:40 clock CEST by the ERT. Is sent to the previous satellite program locations of ERT World on several satellites ( among other things on the satellite Eutelsat Hot Bird 13A for Europe); the live stream is available on the website of the EBU. On the same day of the EBU an online petition started that took place over 7500 supporters on the first day.
Currently, the radio programs of the ERT are broadcast in some areas of Greece on FM and worldwide via a number of short - and medium-wave frequencies. Since November 7, 2013, the sound of the TV program ERT3 on the earlier short-wave frequencies of Voice of Greece (English The Voice of Greece) is taken from Thessaloniki.
On June 17, 2013 ordered the State Council, the highest Greek administrative court in a temporary injunction that ERT will provisionally take the transmission mode back to the establishment of a new public service broadcaster. However, the decision, the effectiveness of the resolution of the ERT AE not in question.
On July 10, 2013 appeared on the previous ERT television frequencies, the test image of a new state television called EDT (Greek ΕΔΤ Ελληνική Δημόσια Τηλεόραση Ellinikí Dimosia tileorasi, Greek Public Television ). He obviously should send in the transitional period until the start of the planned under the name NERIT new public institution and movies, soap operas and documentaries from the archives of ERT show. The new program will come from the studio of a private company in Athens. The messages should initially come only from international news agencies. The new employees are only intended to give temporary contracts. The exact transmission start is still unclear.
Occupation
The central building of ERT in the Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi was continuously occupied by an official resolution by the former staff of the broadcaster. From there, an information program was broadcast on the Internet. The occupation ended with the police cleared in the early morning of November 7, 2013. Contrast Jorunalistenverbände protest from around the world. The German Journalists' Association spoke of an " attack on freedom of the press ". DJV National Chairman Michael Konken called the action against the station and its journalists " scandalous", here will under some pretext a critical voice off.
Trivia
On the home page of the web portal of ERT of June 12, 2013 were reported in the morning that on 11 June ( open sesame you) the Greek version of Sesame Street 26 years ago, " closed" was. The report was the first message under News and was removed at lunchtime. The direct link since then has only to text post without a video.