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GREECE’S TOP ADMINISTRATIVE court on Monday “temporarily” cancelled the government’s shock decision to close state broadcaster ERT, ordering its reopening until a new national media body can be set up.
Ruling on a complaint from the ERT union, the Council of State ordered the government to restart the broadcaster on a temporary basis, a judicial source said.
Last week, the Greek government announced it would close down the country’s national broadcaster for three months – before reviving it with a dramatically downsized workforce – in a bid to continue its cutbacks in public spending.
Journalists, broadcasters and their supporters gathered outside the Greek embassy in Dublin to protest in response to the news last week. The demonstration has been organised by the National Union of Journalists, which says the government-enforced shutdown of ERT has “serious implications for democracy”.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Wade
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Greece. Please tell IMF etc to take a hike. I urge everyone here to like greg palast on Facebook. A real journalist. Get the real story behind the economys downfall and bailout
“Please tell the IMF Etc to take a hike”…The IMF is just one element within a consortium of 3 functional entities that is called Troika…The 3 Being the …European Commission (EC)….European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)….The more accurate way of putting it would be to say….”Greece, Please tell Troika to take a hike” …that would cover the whole spectrum………
Well said. Excuse my ignorance on the subject
I could hear the sigh of relief in Montrose from here!
More’s the pity. An over bloated monolith way past its sell-by date. DJs and continuity announcers being paid twice and three times the President of America.
Isn’t it fantastic how every salary is measured against that of a man with a free house ( and quite a house it is too ), bullet proof limos, his own 747 to hop around the world. With his free house comes free housekeeping, free security, etc. He’s also a millionaire outside of politics. So lets compare everyone’s salary to him because it really is like for like
Right Gerry. Barack Obama. Leader of the free world with – literally – the weight of the word on his shoulders. Probably the most stressful job on the planet.
RTE DJ (this is what they are) paid three times his salary. For what, precisely?
Let’s take it a step further. A front line A&E worker putting his/her life on the line. For a fraction of this guy’s salary?
It is completely indefensible. And I don’t know why you’re even bothering to be honest.
Gerry – quick question for you. Are you the same Gerry McGuinness that’s sponsorship manager at RTE?
Nope, not the same one Eamon but nice try :-). As far as Barack Obama, leader of the free world ( debatable ) having the most stressful job on the planet. This would be job which has a cabainet, has a cotorie of advisors who he talks to before he even considers breaking wind? I suppose, stressful.
Thanks Gerry – worth a shot. ;) OK – no point in trying to convince you about Barack. I for one minute wouldn’t attempt to trivialise his responsibilities. Gerry, we are a population of some 4.5m souls. The average industrial wage is around €36k. RTE is being bailed out left right and centre with dual income and subsidies. If it were a huge marker like the USA I could – possibly – excuse their extravagances and sinful wage.
However, if someone says to these guys they’re only getting, say, €80k, what’s the worse that could happen? Seriously? Where else to go in a country this small? As I said, it is completely and utterly indefensible whichever way you view it. They are DJs and continuity announcers. That is all.
Good news the closure of a broadcasting station is a threat to democracy,
How so Kerry. How would this be so if RTE were closed?!
Lack of information. The public not being informed of what is happening. Most successful regimes take control of their news sources to prevent unpleasant information from being broadcast. While we may not like those involved in RTE it is an important source of information.
Kerry, seriously? The selective reporting on RTE would make people blush. Have you forgotten the Sean Gallagher and Fr. Kevin Reynolds scandals. Those two are reason enough to close it.
Have you forgotten the Magdalene laundries and the recent exposé of child care conditions?
And these are supposed to balance out the other two?!
Eamon, they were just two examples, I am merely asking that you also give credit where credit is due for the exposure of wrongdoing, they at times do a good public service. I do agree however that the Fr. Kevin Reynolds case is astonishing and I will never figure out how anyone with half a brain allowed it to be broadcast.
It was an example of how arrogant they have become Gerry. Aad proof positive that – as an institution which is meant to SERVE the public – it has failed. Miserably.
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