As of 6am on Thursday, public broadcasting service ERT has returned back on the air, about two years after controversially being suddenly shut down. Aside from the three television channels (the Thessaloniki-based ERT3 will soon resume broadcasting), many of ERT’s radio stations also returned back on the air.
A sense of elation and triumph was noticeable in the first few hours of ERT’s return, which saw the President of Parliament Zoi Konstantopoulou and many ministers appearing as guests. Curiously, in the first few hours of the resumption of broadcasting, there was no mention of measures included in the agreement being negotiated between the government and the creditors.
ERT’s management issued a statement, committing to “credible and pluralistic information, with news programs that focus on the objective reporting of current events, without exclusions, without extremities and exaggeration, but rather in way that honors and respects the citizen”.
At the same time, ERT employee federation POSPERT has organized a demonstration outside ERT HQ in Agia Paraskevi for 7pm on Thursday, in protest of the form and procedures of the public broadcaster’s return on the air.
