TV crisis ends at high noon

Czech Television employees have ended their strike after more than six week's. Rebellious staff signed an agreement with a new interim general manager, Jiri Balvin and ended their strike on Saturday noon. At the same moment, the inscription "on strike" disappeared from the TV screens. The strike ended after the newly appointed director fulfilled all demands of the striking staff, including a removal of three controversial members of management appointed by his predecessor, Jiri Hodac, who had to leave his post upon accusations of political bias. He also withdrew notices of dismissal the striking journalists had received from their former management and promised to pay them their salaries for the time they were on strike. Jiri Balvin was elected as interim director of the Czech public TV network, Czech Television, on Friday by the Lower House of Czech Parliament and he'll head Czech TV until the Lower House elects a new Supervisory Board, which will then appoint a new director.