Concerns over public media independence in Czechia, as government unveils funding shake-up
Culture Minister Oto Klempíř on Tuesday unveiled details of a planned overhaul of public media funding which would abolish license fees in favour of state funding. The proposal has raised an outcry from the opposition parties who see it as an attack on media independence and have pledged to fight it all the way.
According to the draft bill, which the government hopes to implement as of 2027, license fees will be abolished, and Czech Television and Czech Radio will be paid directly from the state budget. A fixed amount will be set and annually adjusted in line with inflation, and both institutions will be subject to oversight by the Supreme Audit Office. Contrary to prior proposals, the two institutions will not be merged, and their supervisory boards will remain unchanged.
Minister Klempíř said the transition from license fees to state funding was taking place in many European countries, had proven to be effective, and there was no need for concern regarding media independence.
“The proposal strictly guarantees the independence of public service media. They are not subordinated to any ministry or state authority. No state body or political entity may interfere in their programming. Independence is further reinforced by the fact that both institutions manage their own assets separately from the state.”
Under the proposal, license fees would be scrapped and replaced by fixed allocations forming a separate chapter of the state budget. Czech Television would receive 5.74 billion CZK in 2027, while Czech Radio would receive 2.07 billion CZK. These amounts would be adjusted annually in line with inflation, capped at five percent. Additional income sources would include advertising revenue and the sale of rights.
If implemented, the proposal would result in massive cuts in funding which would see Czech Television lose close to a billion crowns and Czech Radio around 400 million compared to this year.
Moreover, ahead of this draft law, a separate parliamentary proposal is expected to exempt certain groups from paying license fees as of mid-2026. Government officials have previously mentioned seniors over 75, dependent young people under 26, and companies as potential beneficiaries, with details to be announced on Friday this week.
The draft law also defines the public service mission of Czech Television and Czech Radio, emphasizing the provision of high-quality, trustworthy news and educational content, with entertainment programming ranked third in priority. Both institutions would remain independent, overseen by their existing councils, whose nomination and election processes would remain unchanged.
National broadcasters fear hidden agenda behind proposed change
Czech Radio has strongly opposed the plan. Its director René Zavoral stated that there is no rational reason for a change in financing, arguing that the current system is functional, fair, stable, and sustainable. He warned that abandoning a model that ensures the highest level of independence from political power could be seen as an attempt to weaken and politically control public media.
Czech Television’s head Hynek Chudárek said the broadcaster would be unable to meet its obligations next year under the proposed budget, warning of cuts to original production and layoffs.
More than 3,000 employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio have signed a petition protesting against the change.
Opposition parties up in arms over planned funding overhaul
Opposition politicians have slammed the proposal as an attempt to bring the country’s public broadcasters under political control and have pledged to fight the bill all the way.
František Talíř, who heads the Committee on Media Affairs in the lower house is crying foul.
“This is a frontal attack on media independence intended to bring the public media under control by weakening them and putting them under pressure.”
Vít Rakušan, leader of the Mayors and Independents, said the proposal would lead to the nationalization of the country’s public media, vowing that the opposition would “raise hell” over it in the lower house.
“The obstructions will be massive and we will do our utmost to make sure that this legislation never comes into force.”
The bill will need to go through three readings in the lower house, win approval in the Senate and be signed by the president before coming into force.
President Petr Pavel said that, when it comes to assessing the given draft law , guarantees against political interference in Czech Television and Czech Radio will be more important than the specific funding model proposed.
