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Euronews Greek service gets chop

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A Commission spokesperson confirmed that broadcaster Euronews had not included its Greek language service in a package the EU would fund after deciding to axe it.

The European Commission is not a shareholder in Euronews and has no say in the decisions being taken, said a Commission spokesperson in Brussels, responding to reports the station plans to close down its Greek-language service.

The spokesperson said the channel’s management has agreed to maintain the Greek-language service only as a website while closing down the broadcast component in January 2022.

Asked whether the Commission is no longer willing to support independent news in these countries, spokesperson Johannes Bahrke said: “There were plans by Euronews to franchise its service in Greek, and we are aware of these plans.”

The issue is not related to the Commission’s decision to limit funding to Euronews and redirect this funding to other media support programmes.

“We have decided to adapt our ongoing support to Euronews, which has been ongoing for a long time, to developments in the market and the way people consume information online,” Bahrke added.

“We have concluded a new framework partnership agreement with Euronews for three years, and the fixed amount of funding has decreased or is decreasing over time, but there will be calls where Euronews and others can apply, and this is also to stimulate competition.

“The Commission is not a shareholder of Euronews, we are not involved in the business decisions of Euronews, and we are also not involved in the…franchise.”

During the discussion on a new framework agreement, “the Euronews people did not suggest the Greek service as a destination for European funds.”

“They want a different model, a franchise model for the Greek service.”

The spokesperson said: “Euronews had to make an offer including five official languages of the Union, and Greece wasn’t in their offer.”

“And it is not up to the Commission to tell a television station what their business model should be. That’s up to them,” Bahrke said.

“We are not a shareholder; we are not involved in management decisions on Euronews.”

Euronews’ Greek service is broadcast in Cyprus on free-to-air TV.