Czech Television proposes 350 million CZK budget cut plan

Hynek Chudárek, the Director General of Czech Television (ČT), has presented a crisis management plan to the station's Council to address potential budget reductions. The plan anticipates a savings target of 350 million CZK for the upcoming year, representing a 4% decrease from the current 8.5 billion CZK budget. This measure is a response to expected changes in state financing, which could see a reduction in revenue of up to one billion CZK.

The proposed austerity measures include a reduction of approximately 12% of the workforce, which would result in the loss of about 350 jobs over five years. Additionally, the cuts will impact production capacities, operating costs, and investments. Specifically, Chudárek noted that animated content, programming for children, and the production of new documentaries are likely to be affected.

To manage the financial strain, the station may also postpone the modernization of its news building in Prague and operations transfers in Brno. Despite these cuts, Chudárek emphasized that the goal is to maintain the station's ability to fulfill its public service memorandum and honor existing long-term contracts for sports and drama rights.