Cyprus-Forum.com

[Demonax]

...money

ERT actually makes a profit. Strange they're going to shut it down, pay compensation then re-open it again. How will that save money? My guess is they're doing this to meet Troika demands to cut public jobs by a certain number. Otherwise it makes no sense.

How does ERT make a profit when it is subsidised by the government? Instead of two and half thousand employees, the new ERT will only have around a thousand, it will not be Government owned, and I am sure the salaries will be much lower.

They get a license fee paid on electricity bills. The last figures are they recorded a pretax profit of 57m Euros in 2011. They're not planning to sell ERT to the private sector either. It's bloated and badly organised but it's the only TV station not run by oligarchs and the only TV station that isn't just feeding crap and Hello-style pap to the audience. It needed to be re-organised. But this is just a show for the Troika. They had to cut jobs in the public sector and ERT was a soft target. Meanwhile the rest of the public sector is untouched.

[CBBB]

...money

ERT actually makes a profit. Strange they're going to shut it down, pay compensation then re-open it again. How will that save money? My guess is they're doing this to meet Troika demands to cut public jobs by a certain number. Otherwise it makes no sense.

How does ERT make a profit when it is subsidised by the government? Instead of two and half thousand employees, the new ERT will only have around a thousand, it will not be Government owned, and I am sure the salaries will be much lower.

They get a license fee paid on electricity bills. The last figures are they recorded a pretax profit of 57m Euros in 2011. They're not planning to sell ERT to the private sector either. It's bloated and badly organised but it's the only TV station not run by oligarchs and the only TV station that isn't just feeding crap and Hello-style pap to the audience. It needed to be re-organised. But this is just a show for the Troika. They had to cut jobs in the public sector and ERT was a soft target. Meanwhile the rest of the public sector is untouched.

So the taxpayer pays for it, isn't that the same thing?

[Demonax]

So the taxpayer pays for it, isn't that the same thing?

Nearly all state broadcasters in Europe are paid for by the general public either through a license fee or state subsidy.

[Demonax]

As I thought, just a publicity exercise for the Troika...

New national broadcaster to be named NERIT SA

A government plan regarding the development of a new national broadcaster replacing ERT was made public on Wednesday.

The bill, posted on the website of the government's general secretariat for communications, noted that ERT would be renamed NERIT SA, which stands for New Hellenic Radio Internet and Television.

The new legal entity is defined as a state company owned by the public sector and regulated by the state.

According to the bill, revenues will continue to stem from levies collected through electricity bills, though the amount was not specified.

While the bill did not set a date for the launch of the new national broadcaster government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said on Tuesday that the re-launch would take place by the end of August.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_ar ... 013_504035

[kurupetos]

Very sad but I guess they didn't want to go the way of the BBC which just shows reruns and employs ancient broadcasters that are desperate to carry on talking gibberish useless nonsense at any cost.

ERT is not so different in that perspective. Elli Stai has been working there since early 80s, but I must admit she still looks good for a 60 yr old.

[kurupetos]

They shut it down without trying to sell it?

The plan is to shut it down and re-open it with a smaller workforce...

OK, that is good news. Hopefully it won't take too long.

[Demonax]

They shut it down without trying to sell it?

The plan is to shut it down and re-open it with a smaller workforce...

OK, that is good news. Hopefully it won't take too long.

End of August. See my post above. Going to be relaunched as NERIT SA.