Hundreds of thousands protest Czech government's media funding plan

Summarised from 4 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 15 Nov, 15:37 · Archive

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Prague on Sunday against plans to scrap public broadcaster licence fees and replace them with state funding.

Hundreds of thousands of Czechs gathered in Prague on Sunday to protest against plans to scrap the mandatory licence fees that fund the nation's public broadcasters. The Independent reported an estimated 350,000 people attended the rally at Letná Plain, a site symbolically linked to the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule. Organisers from the Million Moments for Democracy group said the protest could be the biggest in the country's post-revolution history.

Under the government's plan, public broadcasters would be financed from the state budget instead of through regular fees paid by individuals, households and businesses. The proposed changes would cut state television and radio budgets by about 15%, potentially leading to layoffs, limited production and programme cancellations, critics warn.

Protesters fear the funding change would give ministers more leverage over newsrooms. Czech Television and Czech Radio are described as the most trusted media organisations in the Czech Republic. Daniel Stach, a TV presenter and one of the campaign's most recognised faces, told the Guardian: "They are symbols. They are part of our history. They are part of our culture."

The government rushed the bill through the lower house of Parliament on 24 October in the middle of the night, limiting opposition speaking time before a vote at 4:36 a.m. Demonstrators point nervously to neighbouring countries where rightwing populist governments eroded media independence, with protest banners reading "We refuse the Slovak scenario" and "Hands off the media".

The rally marks the latest challenge to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his coalition of populist, hard-right nationalist and Eurosceptic parties. It follows weeks of demonstrations and a strike by staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio. The protests come just two days before the anniversary of the 1989 demonstrations that toppled communist rule.

How it is being reported

• Czechs rally against plan to switch funding of public mediaProtesters say the move will stifle media freedom, while the coalition government insists broadcasters need to cut costs.BBC World · 15 Nov, 16:36
• Thousands rally in Czech Republic against state media funding changesCritics say proposed funding changes will give the government more control of state media.Al Jazeera · 15 Nov, 16:32
• Czechs gather in big numbers to reject government's plan to overhaul funding of public mediaHundreds of thousands of people rallied in Prague against a government plan to overhaul funding for public broadcastersThe Independent · 15 Nov, 15:22
• Protest in Prague over media freedom expected to be one of biggest in Czechia’s historyHundreds of thousands expected to rally against plan to scrap licence fees and fund broadcasters from state budget Hundreds of thousands of Czechs are expected to rally in Prague on Sunday to protest against what they say is a government attempt to stifle media freedom. The gathering to save the mandatory licence fees that fund Czechia’s public broadcasters could be one of the biggest in the nation’s history, organisers say. Continue reading...Guardian World · 15 Nov, 11:17
• Public media freedom has been eroded across central Europe. Now Czechs are rallying to protect theirsHuge protest planned in Prague to oppose government’s plan to scrap licence fee, which critics say could give ministers more leverage over newsrooms Daniel Stach was an erstwhile junior international slalom kayaker when he first walked into the headquarters of Czech Television in 2010. He had answered a Facebook ad inviting viewers to a behind-the-scenes tour of his favourite programme, a current affairs show called Hyde Park CT24. He did not expect to be offered a job shortly afterwards. Stach, now 38, presents a science offshoot of that show doing long-form interviews. But he has also…The Guardian · 14 Nov, 10:00

In this story: Andrej Babiš · Daniel Stach · Czech Television · Czech Radio · Million Moments for Democracy · Prague · Letná Plain · Czech Republic

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log