The cameras outside the ERT Radio Building have been set up, the arrivals have begun and the political leaders are expected to arrive any minute – At 21:00 the telefight will begin
The countdown has begun for the first debate between the political leaders in eight years and in the ERT radio house everything is ready. The cameras outside the ERT Radio Building have been set up, the arrivals have begun and the political leaders are expected to arrive any minute.
One by one, the journalists also arrive at the radio station. Sia Kosioni arrived first.
Co. Kosioni
“I don’t know if it will be an interesting debate, but I can say that we will seek, within the suffocating framework, to arouse the interest of the citizens. We are their voice, we will try to express their questions in the space. We are the mediators. I have experienced debates that I do not remember, I have also experienced debates that were limited like this one and debates that the Greek people remember” said Sia Kosioni shortly before the start of the debate, speaking to the main SKAI news bulletin.
Rania Jima
The leaders of the parties, as well as their staffs, before entering the studio will have time to prepare in the offices of the president, the managing director and the general managers of ERT.
Security measures are strict, while there are controls on access to certain areas.
The debate will start at 21:00 under the coordination of ERT journalist Giorgos Kouvaras and will last 3 hours.
Which journalists are participating?
Opposite the political leaders will sit, in alphabetical order, the journalists of the six national television channels. Namely, Mara Zacharea (STAR), Sia Kosioni (SKAI), Giorgos Papadakis (ANT1), Antonis Schroiter (ALPHA), Panagiotis Stathis (OPEN) and Rania Tzima (MEGA).
How the political leaders will sit
In Ertnews studio 4 the political leaders will be seated from left to right based on the parliamentary strength of the parties. That is, first the president of the ND and Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and then the president of SYRIZA-PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE Alexis Tsipras, the president of PASOK-KINAL Nikos Androulakis, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoubas, the president of Hellenic Solution Kyriakos Velopoulos and the secretary of MERA25, Yanis Varoufakis.
As for the procedure
As each journalist’s question was decided it will last thirty seconds and the answer of the political leader should not exceed 1.5 minutes. Then there will be a right to a follow-up question (supplementary/clarifying question on the same topic) lasting 15 seconds and a 45-second answer.
It was determined by lot that Sia Kosioni will be the first journalist to ask a questionwhile the cycle of thematic sections will close with a question from Mara Zachareas.
As ERT announced, the debate will be covered by 26 television cameras, which will be located outside and inside the Agia Paraskevi Radio Building. Another nine cameras will be in the van outside the entrance of the Radio Megaros, in order to cover the arrivals of politicians and their staffs, while for the same reasons a drone has also been deployed.
Also, each political leader will accompany a camera to enter the studio, and there will be two more, which will capture the most important moments of tomorrow night.
Similar are the preparations that have been made for hosting journalists, photojournalists and technicians who have been accredited to cover the debate, as the interest is very high, both from Greek and international media.
The thematic sections
As already announced by the inter-party committee, the thematic sections in which the political leaders will be asked to be placed are six:
1. Economy, Development, Employment,
2. Foreign Policy and Defense,
3. State, Institutions, Transparency,
4. Health, Education and Welfare State,
5. Environment and Energy and
6. New Generation
Which stations will broadcast it?
The debate between the political leaders will be broadcast directly by ERTNEWS, ERT1 and ERT3. Also, for the first time, there will be sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired. The telefight will also be broadcast on the radio, also by the First Program, by the Voice of Greece, while it will also be “uploaded” on ERT’s digital platform, ERTFLIX and ERTFLIX International.
Source: Skai
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have been an author at News Bulletin 247 for the past 2 years. I mostly cover politics news. I am a highly experienced and respected journalist. I have won numerous awards for my work.
