Czech media law proposal criticized by public broadcaster and private media

The Czech government has drafted a new Media Law to replace the current legislation governing public‑service broadcasting. The proposal would shift funding for Česká televize (ČT) and Český rozhlas (ČRo) from licence fees to a fixed allocation from the state budget, setting ČT’s 2024 budget at 5.74 billion CZK—significantly lower than the 8.5 billion CZK it currently manages, most of which comes from fees.

ČT warned that the proposed amount is insufficient to fulfil its core public‑service tasks and called for a higher allocation, stating “Aby reflektovala reálné potřeby České televize a odpovídala minimálně výši příjmů…”. The broadcaster also criticised the draft for lacking a clear definition of public‑service duties, omitting provisions for the continuity of the organisation, failing to address frequency allocations, and not guaranteeing media independence.

Five commercial‑media associations (AKTV, AOV, APSV, ČUV, SPIR) jointly objected, fearing the loss of memoranda that set guidelines for public‑service obligations, online advertising regulation, and cost‑effectiveness oversight. They argued that the draft’s ban on online advertising for ČT and ČRo would pit state‑funded outlets against private competitors and urged the creation of an independent expert commission to benchmark public‑service spending.

Both public‑service and private media groups have called on the government to retain the memoranda and revise the draft to ensure adequate funding and clear public‑service definitions.