Greek government to shut down state TV at midnight in shock announcement
The Greek government has announced the country's state TV channel ERT will shut down at midnight tonight as a result of spending cuts.
It's not known how many of the 2,800 current jobs will remain when the broadcaster returns with a smaller workforce. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou delivered the news on Greek television and said a modern, public, but not state or party-controlled broadcasting agency would be created.
Kedikoglou described the service as "incredibly wasteful" and said ERT had "evolved into a scandal". The news has been met with shock.
Under the terms of Greece's EU-IMF bail out package the country must cut 15,000 public workers over the next year and a half.