Czech Media: Parliament Shifts Funding to State Budget
Lawmakers voted to end the 205 crown household fee and cut broadcaster budgets by 15 percent during an overnight session.
By Hassan Lawson ·
Prague, Czech Republic: The governing coalition voted in the early hours of Saturday to advance a bill that replaces the household broadcasting fee with state budget funding.
Czech Television and Czech Radio will see their nominal funding reduced by approximately 15 percent under the proposal. The measure eliminates the 205 crown, or $9.45, monthly fee currently paid by households. Once the transition occurs, funding levels will remain static for several years.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who leads the three-party government with support from the far-right SPD party, promised to abolish the fee before taking office last December. He described the shift as a fairer model for poorer households and a way to force broadcasters to operate more efficiently.
In a Facebook post late Friday, Babis dismissed concerns that the change threatens press freedom. "There is no war for independent media," he wrote. "There is no fight for democracy and no nationalisation of media is being prepared."
Opposition lawmakers compared the overhaul to reforms implemented by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Employees at public broadcasters expressed alarm during a strike in June, arguing that reliance on the state budget increases government leverage over editorial decisions.
Public media remain central to Czech information consumption. Czech Television is the most-watched broadcaster across multiple age groups, and public outlets rank among the most trusted news sources in the country.
The bill was referred to committees for further discussion following the overnight vote. A civic group has organized a public demonstration for Sunday. Journalists and staff at the broadcasters have scheduled a strike for November 3.
Source: Al Jazeera
