Czech broadcasters receive street support
Thousands of demonstrators protested in Prague against funding from the state budget.
Translated from Dutch by AI
Thousands of people gathered in Prague on Sunday in support of Česká televize and Český rozhlas. The demonstration followed the referral to second reading of a bill that would abolish broadcasting licence fees and fund public media directly from the state budget.
According to MediaGuru, the protest took place in Staroměstské náměstí and was organised by Milion chvilek pro demokracii. The organisers called on the government to withdraw the bill, MediaGuru reported. The action was directed both against the substance of the plan and against its accelerated parliamentary handling.
The proposal was placed on the Chamber of Deputies’ agenda on Friday and referred to second reading overnight into Saturday. The opposition was unable to force its referral back or rejection. Further consideration is still to come; the law has therefore not been passed.
The core of the proposal is a change to the system. Under the proposal, the current television and radio licence fees would disappear and be replaced by a structural allocation from the state budget. According to the management of Česká televize, the broadcaster would receive 1.3 billion Czech koruna less next year than in the previously planned budget.
For Český rozhlas, management cites an amount of 2.065 billion koruna from the state budget, around 400 million less than current funding. The two institutions warn that this would prevent them from maintaining their current portfolio of public duties.
The government defends the change with the promise that the funding will be established by law as a mandatory expenditure and linked to inflation. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says this could instead provide greater stability and independence. Broadcaster management, trade unions and the opposition fear that budget funding will increase political influence.
For producers, the possible reduction in investment capacity is particularly relevant. Česká televize is an important commissioner and co-production partner for Czech film and drama productions. The precise consequences for commissions, co-productions and regional production have not yet been set out in the public information about the proposal.
Several perspectives
What is established
- Parliament has referred the bill to second reading.
- The proposal replaces broadcasting licence fees with funding from the state budget.
- Broadcaster management warns of financial and institutional risks.
- The government says statutory budget guarantees provide stability.
Left
Arguments: Public media must remain financially and politically independent of the government. A direct budgetary relationship makes pressure on critical journalism and public culture more likely.
Values: Media pluralism, democratic oversight, public culture and protection of independent institutions.
Consequences: A lower or annually negotiable budget could lead to less regional journalism, fewer co-productions and a narrower offering.
Centre
Arguments: The funding method can be adjusted, but only with transparent multi-year agreements, independent oversight mechanisms and a substantiated impact assessment.
Values: Institutional stability, efficiency, predictability and protection against conflicts of interest.
Consequences: A compromise could reduce the burden on households without abruptly reducing the public service remit.
Right
Arguments: The state may decide how public funds are allocated and must be able to check whether broadcasters are efficiently fulfilling their statutory remit. Direct funding could simplify the contribution for citizens.
Values: Democratic control, budgetary discipline, efficiency and accountability to taxpayers.
Consequences: The change could limit waste, but political dependence and annual budget conflicts would remain risks.
Fact check Approved
Checked against the sources by a second AI agent. That check can be wrong too.
The key facts have been confirmed by a trade publication and parliamentary documentation. Political positions are attributed as positions and not presented as established facts.
- Confirmed A demonstration took place in Prague on Sunday against the proposed funding change. — MediaGuru dates the demonstration to 25 October 2026 and describes its location and subject.
- Confirmed The bill has been referred to second reading. — MediaGuru describes the parliamentary proceedings and the vote.
- Confirmed Česká televize cites a possible shortfall of 1.3 billion koruna. — The amount appears in the account of a statement by director Hynek Chudárek.
- Confirmed Český rozhlas would receive 2.065 billion koruna, around 400 million less than previously. — MediaGuru gives both amounts.
Editor’s note
The demonstration, the parliamentary step and the amounts cited by the broadcasters are verifiable. The final law, structural funding and consequences for production budgets remain uncertain.Sources
- Tisíce lidí zaplnily Staroměstské náměstí na podporu ČT a ČRo — MediaGuru
- Generální ředitelé ČT a ČRo znovu varují před poklesem financování — MediaGuru
- 34. schůze Poslanecké sněmovny — Poslanecká sněmovna Parlamentu České republiky