Media Week #25/2026

Media Week #25/2026

The past week in the media landscape was marked by digital transformations, regulatory changes, and the continuous battle for consumer attention. We are observing how traditional models are adapting to new challenges and how technology is shaping the future of content and advertising.

Media in Transition

• End of License Fees and Funding Uncertainties: Andrej Babiš's government approved the abolition of license fees, which will lead to direct funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio from the state budget. However, both institutions will lose billions, raising concerns about their independence and stability.
• Digital Platforms Dominate TV, Trust Declines: The Digital News Report 2026 confirmed a fundamental shift in media consumption. Digital platforms for the first time surpassed television and publisher websites in viewing time, while trust in traditional news in key regions is plummeting to historic lows.
• Talk Show Changes Distribution Channels: The well-known talk show 7 pádů Honzy Dědka is leaving television and moving to the paid platform Forendors. This move demonstrates a trend of seeking alternative monetization models outside traditional linear broadcasting.
• End of Barrandov's Thematic Channels?: Broadcasting licenses for Barrandov Kino and Barrandov Krimi will likely expire due to insolvency proceedings. This is another example of turmoil in the traditional television segment.
• Impartiality Rules Hinder Criticism of Politicians: An analysis by Cardiff University revealed that 70% of statements in TV news are not fact-checked. Paradoxically, the excessive effort to adhere to impartiality rules, which prevents deeper investigation, is to blame.

Digital Dominance and the Rise of AI

• Screen Economy in Asia Grows Rapidly: The Asia-Pacific media market is heading towards a five-billion-screen milestone, and its economic value is expected to reach 200 billion dollars by 2031. The integration of content viewing with direct product sales is key here.
• YouTube Beats Netflix in Viewing Time: YouTube confirms its dominance, with users spending more time on it than on Netflix, including older generations and for long-form content. Televisions are becoming a key device for consuming this platform.
• End of Anonymous AI Voices in Podcasts: The European Union is introducing mandatory labeling for AI-generated content. From August 2026, podcast creators will have to mandatorily label synthetic voices, facing high fines. This is an effort to regulate and bring transparency to AI-generated content.
• Spotify Expands Portfolio with Spoken Articles: The streaming giant launches a new feature called Articles, which brings hundreds of prestigious magazine texts in audio format. This illustrates the trend of consuming content in audio form and platforms' efforts to diversify their offerings.
• Apple Attacks Living Rooms with Podcast Redesign: As part of tvOS 27, Apple introduced a new look for the Podcasts app on Apple TV. The goal is to improve the user experience and compete with YouTube on television screens.
• iVodárenství TV Enters a New Era with AI: The specialized station launched a new multimedia portal that combines news with advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence for monitoring the energy market and hydrological data.
• Environmental Tax for AI: A UN institute warns of the drastic environmental impact of artificial intelligence. The water and electricity consumption of data centers will equal entire continents by 2030, with infrastructure concentrated in the hands of a few giants.
• USA Banned Export of New Anthropic AI Models: US developer Anthropic had to shut down its flagship Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models due to a government order prohibiting their provision to foreign nationals over misuse concerns.
• Mars Petcare Dominates Veterinary AI: Mars Petcare corporation has quietly completed the vertical integration of the veterinary segment, controlling diagnostic processes through artificial intelligence. Independent veterinarians are becoming part of a closed ecosystem where treatment protocols are determined by centrally managed data.
• O2 Launched New Monitoring Center: The operator O2 opened a new technological monitoring center (CNOC) in Prague for continuous monitoring of its services and critical infrastructure. Emphasis is placed on resilience and advanced data analysis.
• IT NeŠkola Opens Third Recruitment Round: The educational institute is seeking talents for cybersecurity and data without prior experience. This responds to the growing demand for these specialists in the labor market.

Marketing & PR in the Era of Data and Digital

• Advertising Revenues in the Gulf Threatened: A massive crisis in the Persian Gulf threatens global advertising investments worth tens of billions of dollars. Linear television will feel the harshest impacts, accelerating the decline in revenues.
• How to Address Financial Journalists in 2026: Success in finance-focused media requires a shift from general marketing to data analytics. The key to attention is unique data and precise timing.
• Shelf Space is No Longer Enough: In the fast-moving consumer goods sector, the key to success is the ability to dominate the digital space through relevant and shared stories.
• Czechs Saving on Electronics, Interest in Small Appliances Grows: The Czech electronics market is undergoing a transformation. Sales in brick-and-mortar stores are declining, online purchases are growing, and interest in small appliances is increasing in response to inflation and high energy costs.
• TV Nova Won Three LEMUR Awards: TV Nova succeeded in the prestigious industry competition, converting its nominations into three medal positions. The expert jury appreciated the ethical approach to the PR campaign for the crime series and the development of internal volunteering.
• Crises Don't Arise Overnight – Prevention is Key: Successful crisis management depends on organizations' ability to identify risks and effectively prevent them.
• PR in a New Era: AI Changes Rules, But Human Factor Wins: The PR Daily 2026 conference showed that artificial intelligence offers communication experts the opportunity to strengthen their role in organizations, if they can effectively adopt new technologies.
• Fight Against Disinformation: The communication industry is taking responsibility for correcting damage caused by manipulation. Award-winning PR campaigns show how scientific evidence and strategic cooperation can be used to counter attacks on institutions and markets.

Technological Innovations and Education

• Students Experienced Interference Hunting at CTU: Winners of the nationwide student competition spent a day at a special monitoring workplace of the Czech Telecommunication Office in Tehov. They gained hands-on experience with measuring equipment and identifying sources of radio signal interference.
• FM Summit 2026: Modern Buildings Generate Data: Digitalization and efficient real-time data utilization were the main themes of the conference. IoT technology can reduce operational losses in buildings by up to a third.

What to Watch Next Week

It will be crucial to monitor the impacts of the abolition of license fees on public service media and their efforts to find new funding strategies. We will also focus on the further development of AI-generated content regulation and the adaptation of the media sector in Asia, where entertainment and e-commerce are increasingly interconnected. Last but not least, we will observe how marketing agencies cope with the growing influence of AI and the need for data analytics in PR.