Thousands rally in Brno to defend Czech Television and Radio

Several thousand people filled Freedom Square in Brno on Saturday to protest a plan to change how public media are funded. The protests have spread beyond Prague, where people had gathered in front of parliament overnight. A new rally will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. on Old Town Square in Prague.

According to Petr Štika, secretary of the Brno-střed district office, about 4,000 people came to the square. The demonstrators demanded that Czech Television and Czech Radio remain independent of political influence.

The rally came a few hours after lawmakers from the governing parties advanced a bill that replaces the television and radio fees with direct funding from the state budget.

Freedom Square packed

The event began at 4:30 p.m. and lasted about an hour and a half. Some participants carried Czech flags, and placards read things like “We won’t give up our media” and “The media must not belong to politicians.” The crowd spilled onto the tram tracks, briefly halting traffic across the square.

Speakers talked about democracy, press freedom and keeping the current fee model. The crowd chanted in response, and the national anthem was sung shortly before the end, around 6 p.m.

The rally was organized by the movement “A Million Moments for Democracy” (Milion chvilek pro demokracii). According to the organizers, the dispute over funding is about whether journalists will be able to keep holding those in power to account. Organizer Marie Vazy countered the government’s claim that scrapping the fees would save households money: citizens will keep paying through taxes, she said, and funding decisions will move into the state budget process. She also recalled the proposed cut in the broadcasters’ combined funding next year by 1.4 billion crowns.

The government rejects claims that the change threatens independence. Culture Minister Oto Klempíř called state-budget funding a normal European approach, and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says the coalition is keeping its promises.

Prague rally and staff strike

Movement chairman Mikuláš Minář confirmed Sunday’s protest in Prague in a video posted by the organization. Staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio have separately announced a one-day strike for Tuesday, Nov. 3. The organizers say the changes will be noticeable on TV channels, but the exact arrangements have not yet been announced.

The funding bill cleared its first stage in parliament at 4:36 a.m. on Saturday after heated debate. To become law, it must pass further stages of approval. The opposition failed to get it rejected or sent back to the government for revision. It promises to keep fighting and intends to turn to the Constitutional Court and the European Commission over how the law was pushed through.

Under the proposal, Czech Television would receive 5.74 billion crowns next year, about a billion less than the fee revenue expected this year. Czech Radio would receive 2.065 billion crowns, about 400 million less. Czech Television’s management has warned that this level of funding seriously threatens its operations.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by expats.cz