EBU GA calls for urgency in restoring public service media in Greece

European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Members currently gathered in Malta for the 70th EBU General Assembly unanimously supported a Declaration expressing their grave concern with the continued “black screens” and silence of Greece’s public broadcaster.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre said the EBU’s rapid and resolute condemnation of the Greek Government’s closure of public service broadcaster ERT demonstrated “the organization’s solid commitment to help Members strike back against unacceptable financial and political pressures”.

Ms Deltenre made the comments in a speech to 190 senior public service media executives attending the opening session of the General Assembly.

Ms Deltenre also said for the EBU to fulfil its mission to make PSM indispensable, its priority must be its Community.  

“Yes, our mission is to make PSM indispensable, and the only way we can do that is to make sure we are indispensable to you,” Ms Deltenre said. “We have to do what no one else can do. No other organization, no broadcaster singly or in small groups, nobody. We have to be unique, we have to be relevant, and we have to be cost-effective.”

The General Assembly has also approved a new initiative under which EBU Members will establish an instrument to carry out self-assessments and/or peer reviews to evaluate their performance based on the Core Values of Public Service Media. The goal of the exercise is to increase the efficiency of public service media and enhance the value of their contribution to society. 

Central to the scheme, called PSM Values Check, will be the six values of universality, independence, excellence, diversity, accountability and innovation, which EBU Members unanimously adopted at last year’s General Assembly, in Strasbourg.