Galery

1

The government reduced the budget of the Greek public TV ERT with €10 million. After detailed examination of the financial plan of ERT, the minister of culture and tourism Pavlos Gerolanos called the national media "wasteful organization without a real strategy." Savings in the financial plan will mostly come from “reduction of sinecure positions,” as minister Gerolanos called them at a meeting with journalists, and from reducing the salaries of medium and high level managers. 

In particular, the contracts of fourteen external consultants will not be renewed, because they cost one million and eighty thousand Euros per year for ERT. The redundancy of two executive directors will save €450 thousand, and the abolition of fees in the commissions will bring an additional €400 thousand. The results of the audit showed that 68 fixed-term contracts are of no real value for the TV and they will not be renewed, because they burden the budget with €2.34 million per year. By reduce wages with 10%, for certain positions, €140 thousand will be saved, and by reducing the amount of extra bonuses for journalists, another €560 will be saved. Last but not least comes the salary reduction of the ERT Chief Director with 30%, which will save taxpayers another €350 thousand. In connection with the bloated budgets of some programs Pavlos Gerolanos called Eurovision a "fiesta", which cannot continue and said: "I think it is harmful for the national media ERT to identify itself with Eurovision."

Minister Gerolanos announced that a reassessment will follow of the current program on the national TV, which will prejudge the future of the broadcasts and the new guise of the media. Following the appointment of new Director General and Executive Board, a policy will be applied, which will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of both programs and the working staff. Currently there are proceedings for unlawful payment of fees, which will not be cancelled until the final decision of court is out. Regarding disclosure of remuneration of Directors, the Executive Secretary and other senior officials in ERT, the Minister said that he will agree to such disclosure, but now it would be a violation of the personal data conservation law. 

Right now the issue of electing a new general director is being discussed, whose name must be declared at the end of the week. Gerolanos denied the rumors that there is tension between him and Minister of Finance George Papakopnkstantinou regarding the choice of a General Director and stressed that: "We do not want this position to be taken over by a director-king." The Minister explained that the main criteria on which the new director will be chosen, will be the technical and managerial knowledge owned by the candidate. The Minister announced that the collaboration between ERT and George Labrakis, who until now has been Executive Director of “News” in the national media with, is terminated. Temporarily his place will be taken by Vassilis Bitsis - a journalist has been working for the national television since 1987. Bitsis has been an editor of "News" in NET since 2002 and chief editor in the digital TV ERT between 2006 and 2007. As an editor and producer his CV includes recorded coverage of the biggest national and international events since 1991, as well as experience in the Greek department of BBC.