Czech TV chair resigning over Supervisory Board dismissal, land purchase

Czech Television council chairman René Kühn has announced he will resign on Friday, citing the last meeting of the Board, when it dismissed the Supervisory Board and decided to buy land under its Ostrava studio. Deputy chairman Jaroslav Dědič is also stepping down.

Kühn plans to remain on the council throughout his term, which ends in March 2021 but will not run again. He said it is important that a new Supervisory Board be elected next week. Both houses of Parliament are due to meet over the situation in the coming days.

The Independent Journalism Foundation (NFNZ) and the Czech national committee of the International Press Institute have called on the Czech TV to explain its decision to dismiss the Supervisory Board, and why it sought to create a list of its journalists perceived negatively by the public.