Monday's broadcasting of Czech public media is accompanied by significant restrictions. Employees of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) have entered a one-day strike, which is a reaction to the long-unresolved issue of funding for both institutions. The protest action will affect both news broadcasts and the regular program schedule on television screens and on the radio.
According to union representatives, the critical state of the budgets is the main impetus for declaring a strike alert and the subsequent sharp protest. They argue that the real value of license fees has drastically decreased due to inflation, which threatens the media's ability to fulfill legal duties and invest in modernizing production and content.
Impacts on Broadcasting and Union Demands
Restrictions are evident across all channels. Viewers and listeners must prepare for the following changes:
- Cancellation or significant shortening of live discussion programs.
- Broadcasting of reruns and archival materials instead of current productions.
- Information tickers on screen explaining the reasons for operational restrictions.
- Interruption of standard moderated broadcasting on selected Czech Radio stations.
The management of both media agrees that the current funding model is exhausted. The current fee for ČT is 135 CZK and for ČRo 45 CZK per month, and these amounts have not changed for more than fifteen years. According to market analysts, billions of crowns are missing from the budgets, which should cover rising costs for energy, technology, and copyright.
Representatives of the strike committee emphasize that this is not a conflict with the management of the institutions, but an appeal to political representatives. The goal is to push for legislative changes that would ensure automatic indexation of fees or another stable revenue model that would not be dependent on political sentiments in Parliament.
“The reason for the strike is a protest against insufficient funding for both public media,” stated representatives of trade union organizations in a joint statement regarding the situation that arose on Monday, June 22.
The crisis in public media is also reflected in the wider media market. If purchases from external production companies are restricted, it could also affect the domestic film and advertising industry, for which ČT and ČRo are key partners.