Employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio held a 24-hour warning strike in Prague to oppose a government plan that would abolish broadcasting fees and finance the public-service outlets directly from the state budget.
Journalists and other employees dressed in black and formed a human chain around Czech Radio’s headquarters, presenting the gathering as a symbolic defence of the institution. The protest caused limited but visible disruption: some television and radio programs, including news broadcasts, began one minute late, while online, social media and teletext services offered less material than usual. Organizers said further action was being prepared but did not provide details. [Source 13864; Source 13865]
The government had approved the proposed funding overhaul during the week before the strike, although parliamentary consent was still required. Under the plan, Czech Television and Czech Radio would stop receiving fees paid by households, individuals and businesses and would instead draw financing from the national budget beginning the following year. [Source 13864; Source 13865]
Critics argued that the change could leave the broadcasters more exposed to political pressure because the government would have greater influence over their funding. They also pointed to changes affecting public media under populist-led governments elsewhere in Central Europe, including Slovakia and Hungary. Supporters of the strike framed the dispute as a question of institutional independence rather than simply a disagreement over revenue. [Source 13864]
The proposal also called for a substantial reduction in available funding. The Associated Press reported that the broadcasters would receive about 15% less money in the next year. Their directors warned that such a reduction would require hundreds of layoffs, lower production levels and the cancellation of programs. [Source 13864]
Culture Minister Oto Klempir rejected the strikers’ stated emphasis on public-media values, accusing employees of being motivated by money. The governing coalition consisted of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s populist ANO movement and two smaller parties on the political right. [Source 13865]
The warning strike followed a broader public demonstration in Prague. Several thousand people had gathered outside Czech Television’s broadcasting centre on the preceding Sunday to oppose the financing proposal, carrying signs linking free media with a free society and rejecting the prospect of government-directed programming. A separate AP account also documented a May 24 march by thousands against the planned funding changes. [Source 13864; Source 13865]
President Petr Pavel had also criticized the proposed reform, saying the existing financing system functioned well. At the time, Czech households paid monthly fees of 55 Czech koruna for radio and 150 koruna for television. The dispute therefore combined an immediate argument over budgets with a wider debate about how Czech public broadcasters should be insulated from those holding political power. [Source 13865]
