Greek government to suspend state broadcaster to save money, calls it a ‘haven of waste’

ATHENS, Greece – Greece’s conservative government says it will temporarily shut down state-run television and radio, despite fierce objections from unions and junior coalition partners.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou made the shock announcement Tuesday, saying the TV and radio signals of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, ERT, would go dead early Wednesday. Its 2,500 employees will be suspended until the company reopens “as soon as possible.” It was not immediately clear how long that would be.

Kedikoglou described ERT as a “haven of waste” and did not say how many employees would be rehired.

Unions representing ERT workers at three terrestrial TV stations, one satellite state and its radio network said they would keep the stations on the air.

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