MPs to debate bill establishing new national broadcaster
ERT staff insist they won't leave studios
enet.gr | EnetEnglish.gr, 12:18 Friday 19 July 2013 | ΕΛΕΥΤΕΡΟΤΥΠΙΑ
Attempts to reach a solution between the new broadcasting minister and former ERT staff, who are continuing to broadcast from the company's headquarters in Athens and at regional radio stations around the country, have been unsuccessful
A day after MPs rejected a call from main opposition Syriza to set a committee to review the goverment's shutdown of the national broadcaster ERT last month, parliament on Friday will debate a new bill establishing the station's replacement, to be known as New Greek Radio, Internet and Television (Nerit).
The debate is expected to be completed by this evening.
Attempts to reach a solution between the new broadcasting minister and former ERT staff, who are continuing to broadcast from the company's headquarters in Athens and at regional radio stations around the country, have been unsuccessful.
At a meeting on Thursday, employees overwhelmingly voted to remain in the building, saying they want to keep their jobs. Earlier in the week, they insisted that they would not leave the broadcaster if that meant the end to all programming.
They have accused the government of engaging in good cop/bad cop tactics in its approach towards them.
Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Deputy Public Broadcasting Minister Pantelis Kapsis reiterated his view that ERT's premises was being occupied by "group unionists, including political activists, who were determined to not leave the broadcaster".
He also announced that a call for the first 500 positions of 2,000 jobs at Nerit would be issued by Friday.
In protest at the tabling of the bill, unions called a strike on Friday for all journalistic staff in private stations that use the Digea company to broadcast their digital frequency.
As a result there are no news bulletins or programmes on most private stations, with the exception of Skai, where staff have ignored the strike call.
The government shut down ERT overnight in June, but staff have maintained continuous broadcasts since. Last week, the government launched an interim channel called DT, which relays vintage films and old documentaries.
EnetEnglish, ANA-MPA