Czech Ministry of Culture faces criticism over censorship and audiovisual funding cuts

The Czech Ministry of Culture is facing intense backlash from professional organizations regarding proposed changes to media and audiovisual regulations. Critics allege that new grant calls for literary periodicals constitute censorship, as they exclude content categorized as political news, commentary, or publicism that does not primarily focus on literary culture.

Simultaneously, industry groups, led by the Association of Audiovisual Producers (APA), have issued a joint statement protesting Minister of Culture Ota Klempíř’s plans to amend the audiovisual law. The proposed legislation aims to change the election process for 20 expert council members and completely replace the 15-member board of the State Fund for Audiovisual Media.

Industry leaders warn that these reforms, combined with a potential one-billion-koruna reduction in the audiovisual budget, could destabilize the sector, lead to the loss of thousands of jobs, and cause the bankruptcy of film and post-production studios.