Czech government moves to shift TV and radio funding from licence fees to state budget

Directors of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) met with coalition ministers and left the talks without concrete numbers on future financing. The government is preparing to transfer the public broadcasters' funding from the licence‑fee system to direct budget allocations. Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř and others propose a "safety clause" that would require a qualified parliamentary majority for any changes to the media law, aiming to protect the broadcasters from easy budget cuts. The broadcasters' heads, Hynek Chudárek (ČT) and René Zavoral (ČRo), oppose the shift, warning that the proposed budget reductions – up to one billion crowns for ČT and 400 million for ČRo – could lead to layoffs of several hundred staff and cuts to programme production. A working group, including Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and coalition representatives, will discuss the reform on Tuesday. Employees of both organisations are already on strike‑ready status. Parallel proposals in parliament would exempt certain groups, such as seniors over 75 and small companies, from paying the licence fee.

The outcome will determine whether the public broadcasters receive stable state funding or face significant cuts, with implications for media independence and employment.