The result could be a single, stronger regional media project covering a substantial part of Moravia.
This is not yet an officially announced merger of television programs. But when we put the individual steps together, a rather interesting picture emerges.
Two TV stations, one owner
The basis of this whole consideration originated in 2023. The family investment group REAL KREDIT then entered the regional television station TVS. Subsequently, it also acquired a 100% stake in TV MORAVA. The group itself, during the acquisition of TV Morava, openly spoke about the potential for synergies between the two stations and the possibility of sharing resources, experience, production, and distribution.
Even then, Antonín Štěrba, chairman of the board of REAL KREDIT, stated that by combining the forces of TV Morava and TVS, the group aims to strengthen its market position and offer viewers higher quality content. These were not just two random investments in the same segment. The idea of connecting the two television stations was present practically from the beginning.
TVS has a long history in Southeast Moravia. Its news coverage today mainly includes the Zlín region, Slovácko, Valašsko, and a part of South Moravia. The station itself reports a weekly viewership of over 200,000 viewers.
TV Morava, on the other hand, traditionally holds a strong position in Olomouc and the Olomouc Region. The merger of the two editorial territories would thus create an interesting television belt stretching from the Olomouc region through the Zlín region to Slovácko and partially South Moravia.
“Create a modern regional television for Moravia with us!”
Another clue came recently.
TV Morava published a call to viewers on August 20, 2026, with the title “Create a modern regional television for Moravia with us!” It asks viewers to describe through a questionnaire what information they consider important and what they miss in the broadcast.
At first glance, this is a common viewer survey. However, the wording used is interesting.
It does not refer to a “more modern TV Morava” or a “television for the Olomouc Region”. The ambition is to be a “modern regional television for Moravia”. And the same post appeared on the TVS website!
The word Moravia may be crucial. If the owner simultaneously operates television in both the Zlín and Olomouc regions, creating a common Moravian brand is a logical possibility.
And that's not the only signal.
The group is already openly talking about transformation
An even stronger indication can be found directly with the owner of both television stations. REAL KREDIT is currently looking for a product and commercial manager for regional television stations, and in the published job description, it states that TVS and TV Morava “are undergoing a transformation from traditional regional television stations into a modern media house” combining television, online content, social networks, and new digital formats.
According to the group, the goal is to create a “regionally strong medium”. The new manager is also to work on redesigning the business model and communication strategy for both television stations simultaneously.
This is a significantly stronger signal than the viewer questionnaire alone.
When we put together the common owner, declared synergies, common business strategy, transformation into a modern media house, and the current call to create a “regional television for Moravia”, the scenario of gradually merging TVS and TV Morava begins to make economic and media sense.
Economically, the merger would be understandable
Operating two separate regional television stations is costly. Each needs management, sales, technical background, graphics, broadcasting, program coordination, marketing, web technologies, and many other activities.
However, a large part of these costs does not need to be duplicated.
One common management, a central sales department, common marketing, graphics, technical broadcasting, an online platform, or common production of supra-regional programs can significantly change the economics of the project. Only the local newsrooms and reporters, the part of the television that must be as close to the region as possible, could remain local.
The model could thus resemble one media house with two strong regional newsrooms – for example, Olomouc and Zlín/Uherské Hradiště – but with one management, sales, technological platform, and gradually also one brand.
This would also allow offering commercial partners a larger reach. Instead of buying a campaign only for the Olomouc region or Zlín region, one advertising product for a substantial part of Moravia could be created.
It is in sales that size can be one of the main reasons for the entire transformation. Regional television stations alone face a limited market size. A merged media house can already be more interesting not only for cities and local companies but also for regional institutions and larger pan-Moravian or national advertisers.
But what about two television licenses?
The regulatory aspect of a potential merger will be more interesting.
At the moment, it's not just about two brands, but about two separate licensed television programs operated by two different companies.
According to current records from the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting, J.D.Production operates the program Regionální televize TVS, whose terrestrial broadcasting license is valid until December 9, 2028. TV MORAVA, s.r.o. has a separate license for the terrestrial program TV MORAVA, valid until June 26, 2038.
In addition, TVS acquired another separate twelve-year license for online linear broadcasting of the Regionální televize TVS program in 2025.
Therefore, a potential commercial and editorial merger does not automatically mean a merger of licenses.
The group may operate two separate licensed programs under common commercial and managerial leadership for a certain period. However, if the goal were indeed one television station for Moravia, it would then have to decide which licensing model would be most advantageous for it and what changes would need to be discussed with the RRTV.
One option could be to maintain both programs with significantly common content. The second, a gradual unification of brands while retaining two licenses. And the third, from a long-term perspective, the cleanest option would be to concentrate the project under one station and one main license, while the second license would gradually lose significance or be returned.
Therefore, the regulatory steps of the RRTV may be one of the most interesting indicators in the coming months of where the entire project is actually heading.
And what would the new television station be called?
If unification really happens, perhaps an even more interesting question arises: which brand will survive?
TVS is a strong and long-established brand, especially in Southeast Moravia. It has a history dating back to 1999, and its current operator ranks it among the most-watched regional television stations in the Czech Republic.
However, for the ambition to create a medium that transcends individual regions, it has one problem: the abbreviation TVS itself does not have a clear geographical meaning for viewers outside its traditional area of operation.
TV Morava has significantly greater potential in this regard.
It is a simple, immediately understandable, and geographically practically unlimited name. A station under such a brand can broadcast from Olomouc as naturally as from Zlín, Uherské Hradiště, Hodonín, or in the future, perhaps from Brno.
And the wording of the August call, “Create a modern regional television for Moravia with us,” supports this hypothesis.
Thus, if the group were indeed heading towards one supra-regional Moravian station, TV Morava appears to be a more logical candidate for a common brand than TVS from a branding perspective. This does not mean that such a decision has been made. But from a marketing perspective, it would make sense.
From two televisions to one media house
Perhaps the most important question is not whether the TVS logo will disappear from screens one day and only TV Morava will remain. More crucial may be the change in the very functioning of the regional television market.
REAL KREDIT does not only speak about television broadcasting in its materials. It describes a transformation towards a media house connecting classical television, online video, social networks, and new digital formats.
This corresponds to the development of the entire media market. Regional television can no longer be merely a linear channel with an hourly program loop repeated several times. The same content must work on TV, on the web, on mobile, on social networks, and in short vertical formats. Television newsrooms are gradually transforming into regional audiovisual newsrooms.
And it is here that the merger of two traditional television stations can bring the greatest effect.
TVS brings a strong position in Southeast Moravia, TV Morava in the Olomouc region. A common owner can add capital, technology, business, and unified management. The result may not only be a larger television station but the first truly significant private audiovisual media house oriented towards a larger part of Moravia.
A logical scenario, not yet a confirmed merger
It is important to separate facts from interpretation. REAL KREDIT has not yet publicly announced that TVS and TV Morava will merge into a single television program or that any of the brands will be abolished.
However, the facts are that both stations belong to the same group, the owner already spoke about their synergy during the acquisition, now openly declares the transformation of both televisions into a modern media house, and TV Morava is simultaneously addressing the public with the project of a “modern regional television for Moravia.”
Together, this is a rather strong set of indications that something is being prepared in the Moravian regional television market.
Economically, the merger would make sense. Commercially too. From the perspective of distribution and digital transformation, likewise. Questions thus remain primarily about the final form of the project, television licenses, and the future brand.
And this last question may ultimately be symbolic. If the goal is not just to modernize two current stations, but to build a strong regional television for Moravia, then the name TV Morava offers something that is difficult to build from scratch – a simple brand that already states in its name exactly how large an area it aims to cover.