The news editorial team at the second channel of Radio-Television Slovenia is protesting against the announced cancellation of seven news programmes and the resulting redundancies. Ironically, it was the journalist activists in the ranks of RTV who demanded the resignation of the previous management, which did not cut any programmes or lay off workers.
In a press release, they wrote: “The News Editorial Office of TV SLO 2 has received news that the only Slovenian television news programmes on the economy, crime, science, health and entertainment are being abolished on TV Slovenia. We were also informed that the daily news programmes Panorama and Magnet are being cancelled. In total, seven news programmes broadcast daily on TV SLO 2 are to be cancelled.”
They are, of course, opposed to the cancellations and the resulting dismissal of the staff, but they also pointed out that the RTV management is planning to recruit new staff with the new programme production plan for 2024. Their colleagues are, therefore, uncertain about the future. “They don’t know if they will really lose their jobs, they don’t know if their contracts will be renewed, their families are also in limbo,” they wrote.
“We also oppose radical cuts to the sports and cultural programme and express our support for our colleagues. We agree with their warnings that TV Slovenia is the largest cultural institution in the country, and, as such, we have a duty to provide viewers with the content that is being cancelled, not just agree to lower the standards of Slovenian public television. The amendments are detrimental not only to public television, but also to the whole of Slovenian society. We therefore appeal to the management of Television Slovenija to preserve the news programmes on TV Slovenia 2, as well as cultural and sports programmes, and to refrain from firing the salaried staff involved in the production of the programmes,” the frustrated journalists wrote.
The solution, in their opinion, is for taxpayers to fund the public service broadcasting even more generously.
Ž. K.
