Czech Radio chief rejects Babiš’s claims on public broadcasting

Czech Radio Director General René Zavoral has rejected opposition leader Andrej Babiš’s (ANO Party) claims about the broadcaster during a parliamentary debate on raising radio and TV license fees. In an open letter, Zavoral invited Babiš to visit Czech Radio (ČRo) and dismissed his statements as misleading or disparaging. Babiš argues that merging Czech Radio and Czech Television would save over CZK 1 billion, but Zavoral calls this a “misconception.” Babiš also alleged political bias at ČRo and Czech Television, which Zavoral denied. The fee increase proposal, currently blocked by opposition parties, aims to modernize the funding system.