Broadcasting watchdog slams Prima for claims that show was pulled for fears of regulator

The Czech state appointed radio and tv watchdog, the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting, bluntly brushed off claims from commercial broadcaster Prima that it did not originally screen the episode of Jan Kraus’s talk show featuring George Brady and culture minister Daniel Herman because of fears how the council would react. Managers at the broadcaster already knew that the council had ruled that entertainment programmes featuring subjective views of guests did not keep to the highest standards of objectivity and balance that might be demanded elsewhere, the council said in a statement late Thursday. Prima was trying to shift blame for its decision and put it on the regulator if it tried to maintain that it was not aware of this, it added. The episode of the show reportedly contained many critical references to Czech head of state, president Miloš Zeman, and his staff.