Czech Government Cuts Funding for Public Broadcasters, Triggering Layoffs

The Czech cabinet approved a bill abolishing the television and radio licence fees and shifting financing for Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) entirely to the state budget. Under the new allocations, ČT will receive about 5.74 billion CZK and ČRo 2.07 billion CZK, roughly the levels before the 2024 fee increase.

Both broadcasters say the reduced budget forces major staff reductions. ČT head Ivan Chudárek estimates 300‑500 redundancies, while ČRo director René Zavoral anticipates 150‑200 job losses, potentially affecting up to 700 employees across the two organisations. Management has criticised the legislation as a “front‑line attack on public‑service media” and announced plans to strike, with a press conference scheduled for 17 June.

The law, passed on Monday, is expected to reshape programming and operations at the public broadcasters, raising concerns about editorial independence and service quality as they adapt to tighter fiscal constraints.