GREEK BROADCASTING WOES

On 12 June 2013, the conservative New Democracy government of Antonis Samaras suddenly decided to close the state public service broadcaster ERT (Greek Radio and Television) with a view to reopening quite soon in a drastically slimmed-down form. New Democracy had not consulted its coalition partners, centre-Left PASOK and smaller Democratic Left, and sent in riot police to ensure the terrestrial channels were pulled. The government spokesman described ERT as “A haven of waste”.

Samaras acted under pressure from a “Troika” committee which was delaying an urgently needed €3.3bn tranche of bail-out money: the Troika wanted to hold the government to its promise to cut 4,000 people from the public payroll by 30 June. The closure of ERT, with 2,656 employees losing their jobs met their requirements nicely and the bail-out tranche will soon be disbursed.

Closing ERT has sparked off the mother and father of all rows, and at first blush, has handed the Left a propaganda windfall. ERT’s studios were not cleared and it is still transmitting to those who have the kit to pick up the signal, as it still had a satellite “wild feed” enabling it to connect with the European Broadcasting Union in Switzerland who beam it back to Greece for viewing via mobiles and IPads. I have been watching ERT non-stop for the last 6 days, full of indignant commentators and panellists telling us how marvellous ERT has been. The front of the huge ERT building in suburban Athens teems with demonstrators protesting against the closure, banners galore, trade unionists with their flags, hairy artistes, strident ladies, much slogan chanting, occasional speechifying, the inevitable folk-singers of revolutionary songs and impromptu musical concerts. It has been a, so far peaceful, Leftie Fest.

                         

Crowds of Protestors at ERT

                                         

ERT has some similarities with the BBC in that it once had a monopoly of terrestrial TV (after absorbing the Army’s YENED channel) and runs a network of radio stations serving remote rural areas and the many islands. With the advent of private TV channels, ERT has lost market share with now a shaky 15% audience. ERT’s news coverage is reasonably balanced, it produces decent documentaries, carries key sporting events, manages various orchestras and sometimes screens concerts. It is financed by a licence fee levied through electricity bills of €4.60 per month. Its finances are opaque (an operating surplus is somehow creamed off) and very high salaries are paid to the higher echelons. There is an arrogant institutional culture with executives believing they have a divine right to feather-bedded luxury at the expense of the licence-payer. (Yes, the parallels with the BBC are rather striking!). Over the last 20 years, ERT has been plagued by a proliferation of political appointments from both main parties, failed management, expensive rebranding exercises and is riven by nepotism, graft and corruption. In other words, it is a typical Greek public institution.

          

                            

Weeping ERT Chorister

   

ERT needs to be re-organised and at least Samaras had the cojones to tackle it head-on. Sadly he has been heavy-handed. The general public does not much admire the ERT workforce but the closure has triggered an emotional reaction; shame at the nation’s subservience to the Troika, anger at government by decree and a nostalgia for better past times. The TV images of a tearful ERT violinist playing Elgar’s Nimrod and weeping choristers singing the stirring Greek National Anthem have been quite affecting.

A tearful ERT Orchestra violinist

            Samaras seems to want to patch up a temporary compromise but I doubt if he will retreat from the eventual closure of ERT; new elections now would be suicidal for all three coalition partners. Tonight the coalition partners are wrangling and early reports are that ERT will reopen soon on a much reduced basis.

 

The larger question remains unresolved. Why is Greece having to suffer for a sixth year? The dysfunctional Troika’s austerity medicine plainly has not worked. Greece cannot repay its debts in anything like their present form. A total restructuring is required and other Eurozone countries, the IMF and banks throughout the world will have to recognise substantial losses as Greek debts are written down. The EU could help if a blanket default is to be avoided, but maybe the Northern European taxpayers will not care about this. It is however placing the Greek people in a quite false position to ask them to make no move until after the German elections in September. German elections are entirely Germany’s own business. Meanwhile Greek politicians have an urgent duty to salvage now what they can from her ruined economy and the blighted hopes of her people.

SMD

17.06.13

Copyright © Sidney Donald 2013