Czech coalition advances public media funding overhaul

The Czech Republic’s governing coalition voted in the early hours of Saturday to advance a bill restructuring public media funding, moving the legislation to committees for further discussion. The proposal eliminates the 205-crown household broadcasting fee and replaces it with direct state budget funding, a change Prime Minister Andrej Babis promised before taking office last December.

Critics, including opposition parties and public media employees, argue the shift could weaken broadcaster independence by making them more vulnerable to government pressure. The new model would cut funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio by approximately 15 percent while keeping nominal funding unchanged for several years. Babis defended the move on social media, stating the reform aims to be fairer to poorer households and improve efficiency, while denying that the government is preparing to nationalize media.

Public media workers staged a strike in June against the proposed changes, and journalists have announced another strike for November 3. A civic group has also called for a public protest on Sunday, as opposition lawmakers draw comparisons between the Czech reforms and media changes implemented under Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Read the full story at aljazeera.com.