EBU warns against public service cuts

The European Broadcasting Union, which represents 125 public service broadcasters, warns against further cuts in funding of its member stations.

The EBU, which met in Geneva last week for its general assembly, points out Hungary, Lithuania, Kosovo and Poland as examples of countries where funding cuts are threatening public service broadcasting.

"Some governments are using today's financial cirisis as an excuse to reduce funding of public media to a level which threatens their independence and makes it impossible for them to carry out their mission" said EBU president Jean-Paul Phillipot of Belgian RTBF.

EBU's director general Jean Réveillon last week wrote to the president and prime minister of Lithuania with a demand that they reconsider a planned 19% cut in government funding of public broadcasting. In an another letter, Kosovo was urged to restore the licence fee.

During the meeting, Claudio Cappon was named as new vice-president of the EBU. He replaces Richard Sambrook, who recently announced he will resign from the BBC.