The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) has been transformed from a public broadcaster to a propaganda mechanism by the Presidency
3 December 2022, “Haravgi” newspaper, Konstantinos Zachariou
The 8:00 p.m. main news program begins and ends with references to President Anastasiades
Evidence confirming that RIK has been transformed from a public broadcasting station and channel to a propaganda mechanism by the Presidential Palace was presented by opposition parties at yesterday’s plenary session of the Parliament during the debate on the 2023 budget of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK).
AKEL, through George Loukaides and Aristos Damianos, denounced the interferences from the Presidential Palace, but also the censorship of opposition parties. Indeed, G.Loukaides recalled the blackmailing policies applied by DISY in the past, through its rejection of the Corporation’s budget, while Aristos Damianou denounced that all the announcements of the opposition parties have disappeared from the 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. newscasts.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou also complained that the main 8:00 p.m. news bulletin begins and ends with references to President Anastasiades, while in between it is interspersed with statements by government Ministers. Furthermore, A. Damianou referred to specific examples of news management that are of interest to society, but were either downgraded or disappeared from the news transmitted by RIK.
As an example, the AKEL MP referred to the black spy van and surveillance scandals, as well as the many questions that exist in society about the management of those involved, noting that nothing from the above case was aired on RIK’s newscasts.
A. Damianou stressed that RIK has an obligation to defend and promote the principles of democracy, which are free speech, prevention of censorship and equal treatment of political parties.