On Tuesday, workers from Czech public media held a one-day strike to oppose a government proposal to overhaul public broadcasters’ funding model. Many stakeholders argue that this legislative initiative poses a significant threat to media independence. Far-right Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, a populist billionaire, is advancing the proposal, which has already sparked public demonstrations in Prague last month.
Under the proposed changes, public radio and television would receive funding exclusively from the state budget, rather than the current system that relies on regular fees collected from individuals, households, and businesses. This transition is expected to reduce funding by about 15%, which could have serious implications, including staff layoffs, curtailed production, and programme cancellations.
Critics argue that this overhaul would empower the government, a coalition of far-right and right-wing extremist parties, to exert control over the media, drawing parallels to actions taken by populist governments in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and in Hungary before the removal of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April.
Michal Kubal, the chief news editor at Czech Television, emphasised that this strike is unprecedented in Czech public service media. Viewers were informed via a notable announcement on their television screens: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that we can continue to provide public service in its full scope and quality in the future.” It was reported that only limited programming aired during the strike, consisting of archived content and brief news bulletins. Throughout the morning, Czech public radio primarily played music, interspersed with a brief message explaining the rationale behind the strike along with a minute of silence.
In solidarity with the affected media, university students planned to march in Prague and other major cities later that same day, joining rallies in support of public broadcasting. The strike has garnered backing from labour unions, university deans, religious institutions, international media organisations, and other groups.
Additionally, hundreds of esteemed Czech athletes have called on the government to withdraw the proposed funding overhaul. A joint statement from the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and several other organisations noted, “Such a funding model opens the door to political pressure and jeopardises editorial independence.”
Prime Minister Babiš, who has previously criticised public and mainstream media, formed a governing coalition last year with two smaller political parties known for their extremist views. Their agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting several key European Union policies.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
