Greece: ERT closed by the government - more than 2,000 people get fired!

The Greek broadcaster, ERT, has been closed by the government in an attempt to try and save money. ERT stopped broadcasting in Greece on Tuesday and as a result of the governments decision - about 2,500 people have been fired.

ekathimerini.com informed...

Sources said that Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has already taken the decision to pull the plug on the broadcaster in its current form

ERT is the only broadcaster in Greece which is a member of the EBU, this mean that there's a big chance Greece will withdraw from next years edition. But the broadcaster will be re-opened towards the end at the year but it's gonna be much smaller. Will Eurovision be important to them in these hard times? I doubt it. It's to save money - but could the EBU reduce their fees or something to keep them interested? Eurovision without Greece, Turkey and Portugal would be awful. The EBU stated this on the matter...

While we recognize the need to make budgetary savings, national broadcasters are more important than ever at times of national difficulty. This is not to say that ERT need be managed less efficiently than a private company. Naturally, all public funds must be spent with the greatest of care. 

Europe is with you Greece! <3