EITB boots non-Basque speakers

EITB, or the Basque Radio Television station, is overhauling its staff in order to get rid of some workers who do not speak Basque. Employees will have to take a test to prove that they can speak Basque with enough proficiency to be a translator or interpreter as part of the requirements to have a job speaking on air for the station. Until now, it was considered a boon if announcers spoke Basque and Castilian, but not a requirement to speak both.

Also, workers who posed as freelancers for years will also be cut, because the Inspección de Trabajo is putting its foot down to regulate this kind of work. EITB management has some tough work ahead, and the costs of paying a lot of severance to workers will weigh heavy on the struggling public station.