University rectors urge government to rethink public media funding

The Czech Rectors Conference has called on the government to reconsider its plan to replace licence fees with state budget funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio. In an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), the country's university leaders said public service media need independent and predictable funding to maintain the quality of their educational and science outreach programmes. They warned that the planned 15 percent reduction in funding would undermine activities that contribute to public education, scientific literacy and the Czech Republic's long-term competitiveness.