Czech Government to Review Public Media Funding Law in June, Shifting from Licence Fees to State Budget

Culture Minister Ota Klempíř announced that the Czech cabinet will discuss a draft law on public‑service media financing in June, after processing roughly 400 public comments. The bill proposes moving the funding of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) from licence fees to the state budget, with the law potentially taking effect on 1 January 2027.

The draft sets the 2027 state allocation at 5.74 billion CZK for ČT and 2.07 billion CZK for ČRo – about 1.4 billion CZK less than the current budgets, which rely on fee revenues. Critics, including the Pirate Party and the Finance Ministry, warn the proposal lacks detail on the budget line and payment schedule, and note that abolishing the licence fee could cut 275 million CZK of income from the Czech Post, which currently collects the fee. The European Commission and the Venice Commission have been asked to review the bill for compliance with EU media freedom standards.