Czech TV and radio fees will not be scrapped on 1 January 2027

The abolition of fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio on 1 January 2027 will not happen. The state budget makes that clear: it contains none of the CZK 7.8 billion that the state would have to provide to replace, at least in part, household payments to public media.

“It definitely won't be from 1 January 2027,” said Patrik Nacher, deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the ANO movement's point person on public media. The delay is also acknowledged by the head of the Motorists' caucus, Minister of Sport and Prevention Boris Šťastný.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed it too: “Because the bill is still awaiting its first reading in the Chamber of Deputies and its passage is dragging on, the approved state budget does not assume the law taking effect on 1 January,” said ministry spokesman Filip Beghal. The date is clearly unrealistic given parliamentary timelines, resistance from the opposition, which has already announced obstruction, and the possibility that the Senate or the president could send the bill back.

The new date is still unclear. Ota Klempíř had earlier allowed that the law might take effect within the year. “Whether it will be from 1 July 2027 or 1 January 2028 is a political decision,” Nacher commented.

“On behalf of the Motorists, I say: start the debate in the Chamber of Deputies as soon as possible and pass the law as soon as possible, freeing people from the fee,” said Šťastný, who believes the change could come as early as next year. In his view, the only separate issue to settle is refunds for those who pay a year in advance. Nor does he see a problem in both media losing a significant part of their revenue mid-year, when spending is already planned: “I assume public media understand that the law is on the table. They should prepare, build their funding and take this into account.”

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz