Shutting down the Greek public broadcaster: a case of political economics

On Tuesday the 11th of June 2013, and all of the sudden, the Greek public broadcaster (ERT) stopped transmitting. Those who had tuned to ERT’s TV channel watched, shortly before midnight, their screens going black. Earlier the same day the senior partner of the Greek coalition government ‘New Democracy’ (ND) had issued an executive legislative order allowing for the closure of public corporations with just the signature of the ministers’ cabinet. At the same time, the government’s spokesman, and responsible for media affairs, Mr. Kedikoglou was announcing that ‘ERT is a typical case of unique [sic] opacity and unbelievable waste. This ends today’. And it did, sending waves of shock and disbelief not only in Greece but throughout Europe.