Greek government shuts down state broadcaster

The Greek government made the decision to close the public television and radio broadcaster in an effort to save money, calling ERT a case of “incredible waste.”

It said that the closure and firing 2,500 workers would save taxpayers money. ERT’s total funding in 2011 was 328.76 million euros; it has declined over the past years, down 15 per cent compared with 2008.

Following the news, thousands of protesters took to the streets in front of ERT’s Athens headquarters, and journalists continue to stream live broadcasts online.