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UNI Global Union has written to the European Broadcasting Union to express its "grave concerns" at the decision to stop streaming the former Greek public service broadcaster ERT.



In a statement on Tuesday, the European public service alliance said that it would cease to stream ERT via satellite and its website at 9am CEST on Wednesday August 21. The Greek government controversially shut down ERT in June in a bid to save money, causing the loss of 2,700 jobs. However, members of fired staff have occupied studios and continue to broadcast.



In a letter to the EBU, UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings said there would be no sufficient guarantee that any interim service will be editorially independent or that programming would satisfy public service media values.



“I urge you to reconsider this decision and call on the EBU to continue at least the streaming of the ERT programmes via satellite in order to allow Greek citizens to continue to listen and watch their public service broadcaster,” Jennings said in the letter.

The letter also raised worries over the Greek government’s actions towards ERT employees in recent weeks. “Multiple attempts to intimidate and discourage ERT employees have been made in order to silence their protest and to stop their efforts keeping public service broadcasting alive,” Jennings said. “Now they are facing discrimination. It is vital for the legitimacy of Greek public broadcasting in Greece that it is built in dialogue with and respect of the public broadcasting workers.”

UNI Global Union and its affiliates remain committed to contribute to preserve and cherish public service broadcasting in Greece and seek to continue the dialogue with the Greek authorities, the EBU and the European Institutions.



The public are being urged to sign an online petition to campaign for EBU to continue streaming ERT. Sign the petition here.