Deutsche Welle reverses decision to axe Greek service

The broadcaster’s Board of Directors decided at its last meeting on Friday that a scaled back Greek service will continue to produce content and maintain a presence across all platforms.

Thomas Rachel, a Christian Democrat MP and chairman of the German-Greek parliamentary group, reportedly played a crucial role in maintaining the Greek program.

The competent German broadcasting authority has not officially issued its decision, which is expected on Monday.

The decision to discontinue the Greek service in 2027 had been made last February citing budget cuts and Greece’s status as “a stable democracy with a diverse media landscape.” DW had expressed regret over the decision which, it said, was forced by a €21 million cut in state funding. A DW statement said other foreign language services would suffer budget cuts but would continue to broadcast.

That decision sparked significant backlash in both Greece and Germany. On Friday, the Athens Journalists’ Union (ESHEA) made a last minute plea to DW’s board, urging them to keep the decades-old service. “This decision concerns not only news coverage but also the journalistic presence of Deutsche Welle in Greece, which has been providing accurate and reliable information for decades,” it said.

The Greek language radio service is widely admired for its independent coverage during the country’s 1967-74 dictatorship, and the 2009-2018 euro crisis.

Kathimerini