Northern Greece is to have its own public television channel with nationwide coverage, based in the city of Thessaloniki, said the Deputy Minister for Public Television, Pantelis Kapsis.
“Based on the operational plan of the board of New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television (NERIT), there is scope for setting up a second nationwide channel and a general directorate for regional content based in Thessaloniki,” said Kapsis, adding that the government will soon be hiring 64 journalists, technicians and administrative staff.
The minister was replying to criticism from the local journalists’ union (ESHEMTH) and the regional chapter of the government’s junior coalition partner PASOK, which claimed that northern Greece was being downgraded in terms of public broadcasting and news.
Kapsis added that more streamlined costs compared to the previous public broadcasting channel in northern Greece ET-3, would allow more money to be spent on content, despite NERIT’s lower budget.
According the main opposition, SYRIZA, the government is trying to “obliterate” public television in northern Greece. “The call for job openings at the new public radio and television agency in Thessaloniki, which is being downgraded to a simple branch outlet, can only be seen as a joke. It is not possible to have a regional radio and television broadcaster operated by a staff of 15 journalists and 27 other specialists,” they added, blaming both the coalition government and Deputy Minister for Public Radio and Television, Pantelis Kapsis for downgrading public broadcasting.
(source: ana-mpa)
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