Thousands march across Czech cities to oppose public media funding reform

On Sunday, around 3,000 people gathered in Brno and similar numbers turned out in dozens of other Czech regional capitals, including Plzeň, Liberec, Ostrava, Olomouc and others, to protest a government proposal to change the financing of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo). The demonstration was organised by the civic movement Milion chvilek pro demokracii, which demands the withdrawal of a draft law promoted by Culture Minister Oto Klempír that would replace licence‑fee revenues with a fixed allocation from the state budget. Under the draft, ČT would receive CZK 5.74 billion next year, down from CZK 8.5 billion, and ČRo would receive CZK 2.07 billion, about CZK 400 million less than this year.

The protest follows a strike alert declared by ČT and ČRo staff on 22 April and echoes a massive anti‑government rally in Prague’s Letná park on 21 March, which organisers say attracted a quarter of a million people. Demonstrators carried banners with slogans such as “Freedom for the media”, “Hands off the media” and “Public media belong to the citizens”, and chanted against what they perceive as a move to “state‑control” public broadcasters. The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) together with the far‑right SPD and Motorist parties argues the reform modernises funding and ensures stability, while opponents warn it threatens editorial independence.