A Farewell to a dear friend.

[Cleopatra]

" Edo Londino! Akoute tin Elliniki Ypiresia tou BBC".

" This is London! You are listening to the Greek Service of BBC"

With these few words,accompanied by the sound of Big Ben, many generations of Greeks who were seeking to learn "more" than the Greek journalism had and could offer ( at the time) were risen.

Tomorrow it's a National Holiday. Greece joined the Allies against the Axis and the Greek Service of BBC became the symbol of resistance against the fascists.

I have inherited several old radios from my grandfather and I have one that I have kept it sealed. It had been sealed by the German Occupation Forces so as the owner couldn't listen to London and learn the news of from the Front ( Middle East that is.)

Yesterday we learned that the Greek Service of BBC along with 10 more bureaus of BBC World Service will be closed for financial reasons mostly.

BBC plans to introduce an Arabic TV station instead.

I hope and I believe that the Arab world will profit much from the British sense of journalism and democracy.

The news saddened me deeply though. I, as many other kids were told the whole story of the Greek Resistance and of the role of the Greek Service of BBC during the War and I hoped, in my turn, to transfer this knowledge to my kids.

I just hope that BBC finds the way to preserve the enormous archive. We ( we=some citizens) have already formed a committee that declared willing to raise funds for the preservation of its historical archive.

 

[Mycroft]

Wouldn't the BBC keep the archive?

 

[Mercutio]

Tomorrow it's a National Holiday. Greece joined the Allies against the Axis and the Greek Service of BBC became the symbol of resistance against the fascists.
[snip]
Yesterday we learned that the Greek Service of BBC along with 10 more bureaus of BBC World Service will be closed for financial reasons mostly.

Was the announcement timed to coincide with the anniversary? It seems an awfully inappropriate time. Or perhaps I am reading too much into it.

eta: with 10 countries being dropped, I guess that answers my question. Just bad timing.

 

[Kiless]

Oh, that's awful! Radio is such a fantastic medium - we even had some journalists visit our school recently for the Media classes and students were so inspired by what radio has done over time and even now in terms of broadcasting.

 

[Cleopatra]

Wouldn't the BBC keep the archive?

I believe that they will. BBC aknowledges that the Greek Service has produced unique gems of journalism and I think that this is the reason they have kept the service during the last decade. But we live in strange times. We offered an alternative in order to make journalists' lives easier.

Mercutio,I believe that it was a coincidence.

Apart from the WWII, the Greek service played an important role during the Junda( 1967-1974), it became again a voice of resistance. My mom learned from BBC that my dad got arrested, only hours after this occured and before the police notify her for his arrest! She learned the news from London first.

During the last years a couple of greek radio stations reproduced the news from the Greek service of BBC twice a day. At 15:00 and at 20:00 o'clock. My dad told me yesterday that he has been listening to the afternoon news since he remembered himself and although Internet created a new reality for the Media, he kept listening to this specific programme.

I believe that it was more than nostalgia.

 

[Mercutio]

Mercutio,I believe that it was a coincidence.

Speaking of coincidences...so I turn on the Greek BBC on my computer, click on cultural programming, and hear a story that features both the new Asterix and the new James Bond. Oddly enough, I believe that both of these are discussed on this forum in threads started by....Cleopatra?

It appears that either Greek BBC is enriching our forum as well (through you), or they have spies here reading your threads.