Czech government's media revamp sparks criticism over independence

By Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE, June ‌15 (Reuters) - The Czech ​government ​has agreed to cut funding and end licence fees for public media services in its biggest revamp in decades, drawing a ‌harsh reaction from watchdogs and the opposition that call the moves ⁠an attack on independence.

The government, led by the populist ANO party of Prime Minister Andrej ‌Babis and including far-right and ‌eurosceptic parties, has often lashed out at both public and private independent media, which they see as biased.

The legal change, if approved by parliament, ​would move funding to the state budget and away from fees paid by households and companies. Budget funding would be about 15% lower than ⁠the current income from fees.

Critics say the change made room for political meddling.

Babis, a billionaire businessman and ​a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, says he wants the broadcasters to save, and free people from paying the ​205 crown ($9.87) per month combined fee, following ‌his campaign pledges last year.

"We have never threatened the independence of Czech Television... nor will we," Babis told a news ⁠conference.

HIGHEST TRUST RATINGS

Czech Television and Czech Radio each had the trust of 59% of Czechs in a 2025 Reuters Institute survey, the highest ratings among the country's ⁠media included in the poll.

"The government has formalised economic pressure on the public service media," Reporters Without ​Borders Prague bureau chief Pavol Szalai said, adding that the decision ran against EU rules on public media funding.

Babis has repeatedly said he was following the model of other ‌European countries.

Under the proposal, the budget funding for Czech Television, the larger of the two stations, would fall by ‌about 1 billion crowns to 5.74 billion crowns. It has additional income from ⁠content rights and advertising.

Czech Television's ‌director Hynek Chudarek said the ​changes would force layoffs of about 300-500 of the station's 2,900 staff.

($1 = 20.7800 Czech crowns)

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by ‌Jan Harvey)

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