European Public Service Media Welcome Greek Court Ruling Restoring ERT Signal

 

June 18, 2013

European public service media welcomed a ruling by the top administrative court in Greece ordering the Greek government restore national broadcaster ERT to air immediately.

The Council of State suspended the government decree ordering the closure of ERT last Tuesday (11/6). It also recognized that the Greek public service broadcaster has a key role to play in providing information, education and entertainment to the Greek people and the diaspora.

The Council of State ordered the Greek government to restore the ERT signal and take all appropriate organizational measures to continue broadcasting through the ERT frequencies and internet sites until a new public service broadcaster is established.  

Jean Paul Philippot, President of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - which has been at the forefront of international efforts to return ERT to air - said that the court had delivered the right result.

"This is a positive turn because it means public service media will return to Greece," he said. "We welcome the news that ERT will reopen, and we offer our support to build a new, successful, independent and sustainable public broadcaster that will contribute to pluralism and diversity in Greek society."

Since ERT's dramatic shut-down, the EBU has consistently called for its Greek Member to be allowed to resume broadcasting services and give the Greek public rightful access to public service information.

The case against the government closure of ERT was brought by POSPERT, a union representing ERT employees - 2,700 of whom were laid off at a stroke last Tuesday night.