Czech Public Media Funding Plan Draws Huge Prague Protest: How It Got Here

Large crowds gathered in Prague's Letná Park on Sunday to oppose a government plan that would end the household fee for public television and radio and pay for the broadcasters from the state budget. Organizers put attendance in the hundreds of thousands, though outlets reported different figures.

The coalition of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says the change will not touch editorial independence. Critics say it would make broadcasters dependent on politicians. The bill has cleared only its first reading in parliament, and Babiš has said he will press on despite the protests, according to ABC News.

How big was the crowd?

Estimates differ. ABC News reported that lead organizer Mikuláš Minář of the Million Moments for Democracy group cited about 350,000 people. The BBC reported that the group said roughly 400,000 attended. Before the rally, Al Jazeera reported that organizers expected 400,000 to 600,000 participants, and described the turnout as tens of thousands. No independent count was cited in the sources.

Letná Park was also the site of huge gatherings during the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which ended more than 40 years of communist rule. Sunday's rally came two days before the Nov. 17 anniversary of those protests. Some demonstrators wore pointed paper hats made from newspaper, a tribute to Večerníček, the animated character who has introduced Czech Television's children's bedtime stories for decades, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.

What the plan would change

Czech households currently pay 205 crowns a month for TV and radio, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera put that at about $9.45. Under the government's proposal, the money would instead come from the state budget. ABC News reported that the broadcasters would receive about 15% less than they do now, which could lead to layoffs, limited production and canceled programs. The BBC said the government wants the broadcasters to cut costs.

A timeline of the dispute

• Oct. 24: The ruling coalition unexpectedly moved the bill forward in the lower house of parliament. ABC News reported that lawmakers limited opposition speaking time and voted at 4:36 a.m. to pass the first of three readings. Thousands protested the rushed process the next day.
• Nov. 3: Public media employees went on strike, according to ABC News. The strike was backed by labor unions, universities, students, churches, artists, athletes and international media organizations. Al Jazeera reported that the strike led to boycotts of state media by artists and students.
• Nov. 15: The Letná Park rally took place. Protesters demanded that the government withdraw the plan. According to ABC News, they also criticized its defense policy and called for Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna to resign.

ABC News also reported that the European Parliament debated media freedom and the rule of law in the Czech Republic on the Wednesday before the rally. EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said national laws must base public media funding on transparent and objective criteria and ensure adequate, sustainable and predictable resources.

What each side says

Babiš told the Czech News Agency that nobody wants to control, direct or nationalize public media. He called the current system outdated and said most of the continent is moving the same way, according to the BBC. The BBC noted that France removed its fee in 2022 and now funds public media partly from value-added tax revenue, while Norway abolished its fee in 2020 and moved funding into the national budget.

Critics point to Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and to Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who lost power in April, as examples of governments gaining influence over media. ABC News said one banner read “Hands off the media.” Minář called the turnout extraordinary and described the 4:36 a.m. vote as rule by force.

The European Broadcasting Union, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute have all criticized the proposal, according to Al Jazeera.

What this means for Czech viewers and public media

For households, the main change would be the end of the monthly fee, with public broadcasting paid for out of general state spending instead. For audiences, the practical risk cited in the reports is a smaller budget: about 15% less money than now, which could mean fewer programs and job cuts at the broadcasters.

The stakes extend beyond the budget. Al Jazeera, citing the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, said trust in media in the country is low, at about 30% to 33%. Even so, public service journalism is among the most trusted news sources, and Czech Television is the most-watched broadcaster across several age groups. Opponents argue that funding set by the government makes that audience's main news source more dependent on the state. The government says it will not affect editorial independence or programming.

What happens next

The bill must still go through two more readings in the lower house, according to ABC News, and Al Jazeera said it awaits further debate. Babiš has said he will continue with the plan. The organizers and the unions that backed the strike have not announced further steps in the sources reviewed.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, Al Jazeera, BBC News