New Greek public broadcaster goes on air

Greece’s new interim public broadcaster has launched with the airing of a two-hour news programme.

The news programme was fronted by two journalists and produced by staff freshly recruited for the service, some of whom are staff of the former public broadcaster ERT.

The news service is headed by Vassilis Fomopoulos, former news director at ERT, who said that four of news will be broadcast regularly from Monday.

According to the EBU, the interim service has recruited about 600 staff, with a further 14,00 to follow once a permanent public service media organisation, called NERIT, is established over the next few months.

The EBU ceased streaming the satellite signal produced by former ERT journalists yesterday morning. ERT was dissolved by the Greek government in June as part of a supposed cost-cutting drive, a move that was heavily criticised by the EBU.