Thousands of staff at Czech public broadcasters strike over funding plans
Summary
Thousands of employees at Czech public broadcasters are striking for 24 hours to protest government plans to change how these media outlets are funded. The government wants to stop the licence fee system and pay the broadcasters directly from the state budget, which the broadcasters say will cut their budgets and threaten their independence.Key Facts
- Thousands of staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio went on strike for 24 hours.
- The government plans to end the licence fee system and fund broadcasters through the state budget.
- The new funding method would cut Czech Radio’s budget by about £14.3 million and Czech Television’s by £35.8 million.
- Broadcasters warn these cuts could cause hundreds of job losses and reduce programming.
- Workers fear state funding will make the broadcasters less independent and open them to political pressure.
- A far-right lawmaker suggested that changes could lead to government control over broadcast content.
- The culture minister said the funding change would not affect editorial independence.
- The prime minister rejected claims the changes threaten independence and urged broadcasters to save money.
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