Counterfeit issue of “Radioteleorasi” magazine
While ERT employees struggle to keep the public broadcaster open, in the face of adversity and those who try to make us believe that this is a fight in vain, the vultures and the hyenas take advantage of the inaction and the inability of the Ministry of Finance and ultimately the government itself to defend state assets and they have already put its dissolution into action.
As from today, Thursday June 20th, a magazine by the title “The world of Radioteleorasi” circulates in the Greek market, published by a private company. It is a bad imitation, a haphazard and low quality copy of the original “Radioteleorasi” lay out. It has been made known that the trade mark was patented in 2011 when the then minister of state Mosialos, announced the closure of “Radioteleorasi”. This announcement was never put to action but some people rushed to snatch a part of the magazine that then as well as now, was said to have “non-existing” readers. These people had been biding their time to grab whatever they could get their hands on.
They were given plain opportunity by the Greek government. On Tuesday June 11th, 2013 issue number 2261 of “Radioteleorasi” was published. Today, Thursday June 20th circulated a hideous counterfeit copy with the only purpose to get the Greek public’s money.
We have been receiving hundreds of congratulatory phone calls all day, giving their “thumbs up” for the circulation of the “magazine”- as they were made to believe- despite its closure. Many press distributors and kiosk owners have also been tricked thinking they had been selling the original “Radioteleorasi”
Our readers as well as all the rest of the Greek people have been supporting our fight for a public broadcaster open to society and the salvation of “Radioteleorasi”.
It is an historical magazine and constitutes an integral part of the Greek radio and television history and the Greek culture in general, property of the Greek people, which numbers 2261 issues and the only time it was discontinued was during the German occupation of Greece in World War II. The people’s support is an answer that puts a stop to those who rushed to put the nails on the magazine’s coffin, way before its time.
The point of the matter is to be found beyond our own emotions when we heard the news. “Radioteleorasi” belonged and it still does to the Greek state, the Greek public. It is both yours and ours. Today, it was this magazine. Tomorrow, it could be a programme broadcasted by a TV channel called “ERT” or a radio station called “Trito Programma”. Who shall stop them? Is there someone capable of protecting our assets, our rights and our public property?