Ruling party hogs talk show airtime on state TV in 2017
Officials from ruling SYRIZA took up 49 percent of airtime on talk shows hosted by Greece’s private and public television stations in 2017, National Broadcasting Council (ESR) data show, with state channel ERT giving the leftist party 61.2 percent of its panel time.
Opposition New Democracy got just 14.7 percent of airtime on ERT, which the conservatives boycotted this week over insulting comments by an ERT commentator. ND was followed by Independent Greeks (ANEL) and the Greek Communist Party (KKE) with 3.1 percent of airtime each, Democratic Alignment (2.8 percent), To Potami (2.5 percent), the Union of Centrists (2.1 percent) and far-right Golden Dawn (1 percent).
On the rest of the country’s TV stations, SYRIZA officials took up 49.9 percent of talk show airtime and their ND counterparts 26.2 percent. Democratic Alignment was on 6.4 percent, ANEL on 4.7 percent, To Potami 2.9 percent, Union of Centrists 1.5 percent and, in last place, GD on 1.1 percent.
