Czech public broadcasters strike over state funding plan

Journalists and staff at Czech public radio and television formed human chains and staged a 24‑hour warning strike to protest a government plan to shift public‑media financing from licence fees to the state budget starting next year. The proposal, backed by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s coalition, would cut the broadcasters’ budgets by roughly 15% this year and reduce funding by about 1.4 billion Czech crowns, prompting fears of layoffs, program cancellations and loss of editorial independence. Protesters in Prague and other cities warned the move would give the government direct control over the media, echoing concerns raised by domestic journalists, pro‑democracy activists and international watchdogs. The strike caused brief interruptions in TV and radio programming, while officials defended the reform as a financial necessity.