Overview
- The cabinet decided in mid‑June to scrap TV and radio licence fees and instead finance Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) from the state budget starting in 2027 while cutting their funding by up to 15 percent.
- Several thousand people gathered in Prague over the weekend for a protest called by the group One Million Moments for Democracy to oppose what they say is a move that would make public media answerable to politicians.
- Employees of ČT and ČRo launched a warning strike on Monday that has left some news desks empty, reduced or delayed programming, and used visible symbols such as black clothing and banners to explain the action.
- Station leadership warn the budget cut could force between about 450 and 700 job cuts and lead to program reductions, with managers saying the measures would take effect well before the formal 2027 funding change.
- Prime Minister Andrej Babiš defends the plan as a cost‑saving reform and denies intent to influence content, but the bill still needs parliamentary approval and critics point to Hungary and Slovakia as examples where state control eroded editorial independence.