John role downplayed

František Nachtigall, the editor-in-chief of the Czech weekly newsmagazine Týden and a member of the board of Empresa Media publishing company has said that MP Radek John will have no influence over the magazine or a sister publication, Instinkt. Earlier, Mr John - a former investigative journalist who headed an influential current affairs programme on TV Nova in the 1990s, caused a furor on the Czech political scene when announced he would be taking over as head of current affairs at Empresa while retaining his post as an MP. The announcement drew sharp response across the political spectrum. The news website Mediář.cz has since reported that Mr John will only be employed as a consultant on a new current affairs show on TV Barrandov similar to the programme he worked on years earlier. TV Barrandov is owned in part by Empresa Media, which holds a majority stake.

Author: Masha Volynsky