Czech Broadcasters Strike Against Shift to State Budget Funding

Employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio began a one-day strike at midnight on Nov. 3, 2026 over a government bill to replace the 205-crown monthly household broadcasting fee with state-budget funding and cut budgets. The bill, from the ANO-Motorists-SPD coalition led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, passed its first reading in the Chamber of Deputies at 4:36 a.m. on Oct. 24. Strike-day programming was curtailed: anchors in black read statements under darkened lights, news ran shorter, TV used reruns and radio mostly music. Students from Charles University, the University of Economics and the Technical University marched toward Wenceslas Square; National Theater actors interrupted a performance to read demands. After the first reading, tens of thousands had protested in Old Town Square; 330 athletes sent Babiš an open letter seeking withdrawal. Contested: Strike committee member Jan Molacek said the proposal "will give the government coalition tools to politically influence the content of both public media." Babiš said "There is no fight over democracy. Nobody wants to take over the public media or bring them under state control" and that the aim was to lighten household costs; on missing independence guarantees he said "we wanted it that way." A strikers' statement said the institutions "are there for all of you, not for the politicians." International journalist groups warned independence can be undermined by legal changes, financial pressure and insecurity. Cuts are described as more than 15% to 2008/2005 levels or up to 20%. A STEM/MARK survey for Czech Television found 23% support the bill as-is; cited polls show two-thirds oppose state media control, 34% favor keeping the fee and nearly a third favor budget funding with independence guarantees. President Petr Pavel has backed a model with editorial independence and multi-year predictable funding. Babiš has said changes are possible in further debate, including options that avoid direct budget dependence. The bill awaits later parliamentary stages.