NATIONAL GREEK TV -ERT CLOSED DOWN BY GREEK GOVERMENT - 2600 UNEMPLOYED

[Björn Benckert]

I might be completely off here but Kostas to me you look at it the wrong way. As I see it the TV station that is owned by the government ( they have the same setup here in Sweden) is the furthest thing you can find when looking for freedom of speech, or any such thing. It's simply a socialistic governments means to feed the "truth" to the people. In russia this channel (and newspaper) was called "pravda" which means "truth". So as I see it you have been deliberated as your Government decided to close down it's own most important channel to feed you their lies.

Now hopefully the Greece people will wake up, start their own channels of communications and the government will have much less chance to steer the debate. So they just tossed away something that, if you ask me, has been quite needed for socialistic government to last over time.

So it there is some talent among the TV staff that's been laid of they all ready started their kickstarter campaign and soon you will have multiple politcial TV stations that all try to show their view of the truth... and then I think the Greece people will realize that Government owned media is not really a good thing.

To me "Free media" is not government owned. Government owned media is a dangerous weapon used by totalitarian nations and dictators. And yes, in sweden we have "Pravda" in 2 TV stations and a few radio stations and it's even made this ugly medicine in such a tasty mix so people here actually want it and would vote to keep it... People even here think it's important to be spoken down to....

Hopefully internet stays some what free for a little longer then we can continue the trend that your country, seemingly unwillingly have started.. That's at least my opinion on the matter.

 

[paulherrin]

i have many ideas for solving your problem, most of them involve heavy weapons and twitter. here's your heavy artillery: leave the eu. they're probably stupid enough to let you walk away at this point. the revolution lives.

 

[Björn Benckert]

i have many ideas for solving your problem, most of them involve heavy weapons and twitter. here's your heavy artillery: leave the eu. they're probably stupid enough to let you walk away at this point. the revolution lives.

+1!

 

[Liam Hall]

To me "Free media" is not government owned. Government owned media is a dangerous weapon used by totalitarian nations and dictators.

You've heard of the BBC, right?

 

[Robert Niessner]

So it there is some talent among the TV staff that's been laid of they all ready started their kickstarter campaign and soon you will have multiple politcial TV stations that all try to show their view of the truth... and then I think the Greece people will realize that Government owned media is not really a good thing.

To me "Free media" is not government owned. Government owned media is a dangerous weapon used by totalitarian nations and dictators.

Well so Berlusconi's private owned TV stations in Italy are a prime example how well "free media" works when not government owned...
Or Leo Kirch's RTL/Pro7/SAT1/Bild Zeitung in Germany.
Or the Murdoch media empire.

All of them show you a perfect example why mass media should not be in the hands of privates only.

And suggesting the Greek people should finance a new TV station via Kickstarter is just ignorant of the situation in Greece, where in for example in Athen more and more people are losing their jobs, savings, apartment - living now on the streets. I've read that young women prostitution has skyrocket as they try to survive somehow.

Kostas correct me if I got this wrong - it is just what I heard.

 

[Les Dittert]

The banks that loaned the Greeks over 300 Billion Euros would let them walk away ?
No chance.

i have many ideas for solving your problem, most of them involve heavy weapons and twitter. here's your heavy artillery: leave the eu. they're probably stupid enough to let you walk away at this point. the revolution lives.

 

[Freya]

Looks like the greek public broadcaster is coming back to air after, erm, a bit of an outcry!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22945155

Looks like the closure was a bit illegal.

Regardless of the politics of state broadcasting it's more than a little dodgy the way they shut it down so suddenly with no warning. Not a good sign, especially given the current situation.

Poorly handled.

Freya

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

If Greek people do not agree with the government's decision to close the channel down, they they should feel free to start and pay for their own, free from the government interference "people tv channel". Freedom of the press is not a luxury, that can be decided by some bureaucrats, but a nessesity.

Government owned media is a dangerous weapon used by totalitarian nations and dictators.

You seem to be focusing on "government own" instead of "national". "National" means that a media entity has at least some kind of constitutional, legally binding responsibility towards the nation for which it creates the program. Which affects the type and quality of content. Which means there is some ethics involved in affecting that nation, its society and culture. Its identity, values, heritage, education, its mental and emotional state.

Responsibility which is not present in corporative owned media, with open hands to create the program in any way chosen, regardless on its effect on a nation.

 

[Freya]

You've heard of the BBC, right?

and CH4 would also fit that description too!

Freya

 

[Freya]

You seem to be focusing on "government own" instead of "national". "National" means that a media entity has at least some kind of constitutional, legally binding responsibility towards the nation for which it creates the program. Which affects the type and quality of content. Which means there is some ethics involved in affecting that nation, its society and culture. Its identity, values, heritage, education, its mental and emotional state.

Responsibility which is not present in corporative owned media, with open hands to create the program in any way chosen, regardless on its effect on a nation.

In fact these broadcasters are supposed to be publicly owned, as in owned by the public, so not technically owned by the government, tho we are kind of into semantics there!

Freya

 

[Björn Benckert]

You've heard of the BBC, right?

Yes, I just forgot to mention them. They are the top dog in this game they just do the trick a little bit better than the others. Feed the people with what the people want to see and then stick the hidden agenda into the mix. It's like Marry Poppins using sugar to fooling kids to swallow medicine... The better they make the rest of their content the more people see it as "what said on BBC is the truth"...

At least thats how I see it.

And if it was not to steer people, why on earth would a government need a TV station that mixed entertainment, science and news, As people would not get enough entertainment as it is today?

 

[Björn Benckert]

You seem to be focusing on "government own" instead of "national". "National" means that a media entity has at least some kind of constitutional, legally binding responsibility towards the nation for which it creates the program. Which affects the type and quality of content. Which means there is some ethics involved in affecting that nation, its society and culture. Its identity, values, heritage, education, its mental and emotional state.

Responsibility which is not present in corporative owned media, with open hands to create the program in any way chosen, regardless on its effect on a nation.

No I'm talking about National TV. It does not have to be totally controlled by government, but as long as thats whats finance them, they are very much "owned" as I see it and far from free.

But you are right, these National TV channels teach us values. If you think of it, it even might be so, that what you are writing here is based on knowledge/values you gathered from watching National Telly... or?

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

No I'm talking about National TV. It does not have to be totally controlled by government, but as long as thats whats finance them, they are very much "owned" as I see it and far from free.

That's an interesting perspective.
So what or who do you think finances a commercial TV and which type allows more "freedom of press" ?

But you are right, these National TV channels teach us values.

Values are taught at home.
National TV is obligated to help keeping them. Commercial isn't.

If you think of it, it even might be so, that what you are writing here is based on knowledge/values you gathered from watching National Telly... or?

Too general question.
In this case part is based on working in both national and commercial telly.

In fact these broadcasters are supposed to be publicly owned, as in owned by the public, so not technically owned by the government, tho we are kind of into semantics there!

Freya

Yeah...semantics, ethics and all that stuff.
Wonder where those came from.

 

[Björn Benckert]

That's an interesting perspective.
So what or who do you think finances a commercial TV and which type allows more "freedom of press" ?



Too general question.
In this case part is based on working in both national and commercial telly.



Yeah...semantics, ethics and all that stuff.
Wonder where those came from.

This thread is allready far to political for not to be closed. But while it's still open...
Yes, commercial TV station can be looked upon as "not free" as the owner will assure what is being broadcasted. But the same argument goes for a government owned TV station. The Government maybe can not control the content in every detail but as you say they will teach you values, maybe good values, but also political and other values. And I can not think of one National TV station that is not trying to teach their people values that very much goes along with the ideas of the party in government. So for that reason I think it's quite dangerous to see those stations as nothing but tools to herd people.

In Sweden we got commercial TV very late, as the socialistic party managed to ban all other tv stations then their own for quite some time. It was a late as around 1990 that people here also got an alternative. Not saying the alternative was a better one but at least a second perspective.

 

[Freya]

In Sweden we got commercial TV very late, as the socialistic party managed to ban all other tv stations then their own for quite some time. It was a late as around 1990 that people here also got an alternative. Not saying the alternative was a better one but at least a second perspective.

Ironically this is the argument for the public broadcasters here in the UK, so as to compete with the private tv. In fact in the UK there are so far 3 kinds of TV that compete with one another.

Freya

 

[Ivan Kovax]

You've heard of the BBC, right?

Or the ABC and SBS in Australia... completely independent of government meddling...

 

[Ivan Kovax]

Yeah...semantics, ethics and all that stuff.
Wonder where those came from.

Hahah... I love this.

 

[Nick Noev]

constantine,

i'm sorry that a lot of good working professionals in greece lost their jobs, but that is the consequence of the way your government has been shamelessly burning EU money for years. and thats not only you national TV & radio administration - thats each and every other ministry / agency. 14+ salaries per year? 60 days vacation time? ++ another xx sick days? handing out random bonuses? for every 100 journalists there are probably 200 gardeners on staff at your national TV. for every 100 cameramen.. another 200 cleaning staff. CNN is spread out around 32 countries and employs approximately 3000 people. greece alone has 2600. and for the last year, all three national chanels put together have between 13-20% viewership compared to privately held networks. but i'm not here to try and convince you about that because you already know it. for everyone else concerned, check the facts.

i'm just saying that if you are good professional then there will probably be demand for your services and you will be fine. just, please, dont talk about freedom of speech and how you created DEMOCRACY, like there is some giant conspiracy to sell the national media and fire everybody and this shouldnt be happening.. the one real conspiracy is how most people in greece have managed to NOT pay any taxes for as long as .. well, ever since they became a member of the EU and the cash started flowing back in '81. and what is and has been happening in greece for years is just shameful and outrageous - not paying taxes is like an olympic fucking sport over there. but i guess thats OK too since you guys also invented the Olympics.. anyway, i should keep it cool.

jake and les were on the right track but this thread went in the wrong direction. and before everyone gets sentimental and all like "my heart goes out to all the documentarians and technicians who lost heir jobs at the TV station" please, keep an open mind and check the real story here. 324 000 euro - news chief's yearly salary / 218 976 euro - a news anchor yearly salary / journalists, correspondents and staff writers 84 000 - 176 000 euro per year / some junior positions make 60 000 euro which is like 80,149.61 USD. i'm wondering what media in the USA pays that kind of money for an enry level position? / ex-minister's cousin that has a weekly show gets 84 000 euro per episode. there is an instance of a whole family of 4 members that are all employeed at the national TV making close to a milion euro per year together. the recent audit also shows a "lack of transparency" about the inventory - it just hasnt been done for the last 8 years - oops! ok, i'll stop here.

now anyone care to comment?

 

[Nick Noev]

And that's what happens, when governments and people live beyond their means. When they borrow and don't care how they're going to pay it back, something got to give. That's what happens, when governments abdicate their main responsibilities and give some faceless bureaucrats in Brussels the power over their citizens.
I'm returning from my vacation in Greece and never in my live have I seen such a rampant tax avoidance. No one accepts credit cards, no one wants to give receipts, no one wants any trace of financial transactions. And why would they want to pay such exorbitant tax rate? The tax rate is 70%! Greece is broken and EU is just kicking the can down the road, until they try to figure out how to kick Greece out of EU without Euro coming apart. Spain and Portugal are next...

no shit?

 

[paulherrin]

The banks that loaned the Greeks over 300 Billion Euros would let them walk away ?
No chance.

watch what happens. they will devalue the currency to a level beyond their obligations, they will have armed conflict, or they will be let go.