License fees for Czech public radio and television set to increase as of May
License fees for the country’s public broadcasters are set to increase as of May 2025, in what is the first adjustment in over two decades. The newly approved legislation will also significantly expand the range of payers. Who will be obliged to pay the fees and how much?
The proposal to increase the license fees for Czech Radio and Czech Television was strongly defended by Culture Minister Martin Baxa who argued that the hike is vitally necessary to ensure the independence and sustainability of the country’s public broadcasters at a time of hybrid warfare, disinformation campaigns and changing media consumption patterns.
The law will also ensure that in future years, public broadcasting fees will be aligned to inflation and will be automatically adjusted if inflation exceeds six percent.
Jan Souček, head of Czech Television, welcomed the legislative amendment saying it would open the way for the transformation and development of public television in the coming years.
The head of Czech Radio René Zavoral said an institution that has served the public for 102 years is worth protecting and emphasized its pivotal role in crisis situations such as floods or the Covid pandemic.
How much will people have to pay?
As of May, the license fee for Czech Television will increase by 15 crowns to 150 crowns per month and for Czech Radio by 10 crowns to 55 crowns per month. Payments can be arranged on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis.
For comparison – license fees for public service media are currently paid in ten EU countries. The average amount paid in the EU for public service media is €9.7 (now about CZK 240) per month.
Who will be obliged to pay?
The big change in the legislation is that it will significantly expand the range of payers. As of May, the fee will be compulsory for all households that can receive broadcasts by TV and radio receivers, via the internet, smartphones, tablets or computers.
The list of possible receivers includes an alarm clock with a radio, car radio, motorcycle radio, or built in radio on a boat, among others. The new conditions should increase the range of payers by around 600,000.
The fee is paid per household, not per person. So a family living in one household only needs to pay one fee – and the fee also covers receivers at their country cottage or boat.
Do foreigners have to pay license fees?
Foreigners who have long-term or permanent residence in the Czech Republic and who have any of the stated means of receiving broadcasts –or even have such equipment borrowed for a period longer than one month - are also obliged to pay the fees.
How does it work?
If you pay for electricity supplies, the state automatically counts you as a payer of TV and radio fees. If you do not pay the fees, you can expect to be called on by Czech Television and Czech Radio to do so. You are obliged to notify Czech Radio or Czech Television within 15 days that you have become the owner of a radio or TV receiver. The fee is then paid from the 1st day of the next month.
In the case of rental housing, the fee is always paid by the tenant, not the property owner.
The fee is paid for owning the specific device. So if, for example, you have a TV that you do not watch or you do not listen to the radio, but you do own a device that enables you to do so, you still have to pay the fee.
If you do not own a radio or TV receiver, you have to send a sworn declaration within 30 days of receiving the notice from the given public broadcaster stating that you do not own such a device, or that you share a household with another payer.
Czech Television and Czech Radio both have online portals where people can register to pay license fees.
For more information on Czech Radio fees go to: https://poplatek.rozhlas.cz/
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