Greece closing state broadcaster to save money, calls it a ‘haven of waste’

The Associated Press reports that Greece is planning to close down all its state-run TV and radio stations with the loss of some 2,500 jobs as part of its cost-cutting drive demanded by the bailed-out country’s international creditors. The shock announcement Tuesday widened cracks in the year-old conservative-led governing coalition, with both minority partners condemning the suspension of Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, or ERT. Nonetheless, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou — a former state TV journalist — described ERT as a “haven of waste” and said its TV and radio signals would go dead early Wednesday. He said its 2,500 employees will be compensated and the company will reopen “as soon as possible” with a smaller workforce. More