Czech Public Media Workers Go on Strike over a Government Plan to Overhaul Their Funding
Workers say the overhaul would cut funding by about 15% and let politicians influence public broadcasters.
- On Tuesday, Czech Television and radio workers launched a one-day strike unprecedented in public service media history, protesting government plans to move funding into the state budget and cut financing by approximately 15%.
- The government's proposed legislation would cancel the 205-crown monthly household broadcasting fee and shift funding from individual fees to the state budget, a model critics warn opens the door to political pressure and editorial interference.
- Czech Television newsrooms appeared darkened with moderators reading from scripts during the strike. Journalist Jan Molacek stated, "This proposal, if passed, will give the government coalition tools to politically influence the content of both public media."
- Prime Minister Andrej Babis claimed the government is merely lightening financial burdens, but critics compare the funding shift to media takeovers in Slovakia and Hungary, viewing it as a threat to editorial independence.
- The bill passed a preliminary vote last month and now awaits further parliamentary debate as student groups and the Million Moments for Democracy group continue organizing public rallies to defend media independence.
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<p>Protests broke out in the Czech Republic over a change in funding for public broadcasting: what the government says Employees of Czech public television are on strike, and thousands of people protest against the transition to state funding. Govt Promises to maintain editorial independence.</p>
The government has made advances on a law that eliminates the tax on public media funding, and for many it is a way to control them.
Thousands join Czech protest against public media financing plan
Critics say the overhaul would give the ruling three-party coalition the means to take control of the media, similar to what populist governments did in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and in Hungary before former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was ousted from power in April.
Chronicle Online
Czech public media workers go on strike over a plan to overhaul their funding
Czech public media workers have gone on a one-day strike to protest a government plan to change how public broadcasters are funded. The plan, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, would finance public radio and television from the state budget…
Day in Photos: Protest in Czechia, US Midterm Elections, and the Foliage Train
Employees of Czech Television and students demonstrate at Wenceslas Square in Prague, on Nov. 3, 2026, during a nationwide one-day strike against proposed changes to public media funding and in support of preserving license fees. (Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images)
In the Czech Republic, thousands of people have once again taken to the streets in solidarity with the public broadcaster. Radio and television workers went on strike today in protest against the government's reform plans for the public broadcaster and marched through the center of Prague dressed in black. They warn that these plans undermine the broadcaster's independence. The government of populist Prime Minister Babis, which relies on the su…
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