The EBU has written to the Czech Prime Minister to express concern about draft legislation that could undermine the independence, stability and European compliance of public service media in Czechia.

In the letter, EBU Director General Noel Curran acknowledged Czechia's strong tradition of independent public service media, recognizing Czech Television and Czech Radio as trusted institutions. But warned that the proposed reforms represent a profound structural change without strong evidence-based justification.

Funding model raises independence concerns

Central to the EBU's concerns is a proposed shift from licence fee financing to direct state budget funding. While such models exist elsewhere in Europe, they should include strong safeguards to ensure funding stays adequate, predictable, and free from political influence. We believe the current proposal risks creating financial dependency on political decision-making due to reduced funding levels, limited indexation and the absence of independent oversight.

Towards a narrow public service remit

The draft law also redefines the scope of public service media, placing heavy emphasis on news while restricting entertainment. This approach could narrow the remit in ways that conflict with Council of Europe standards, which call for a broad range of programming to reach all fringes of society and support social cohesion.

Governance and political influence

“We also have concerns about governance provisions - in particular, parliamentary involvement in approving editorial codes and the rules governing the appointment and dismissal of media councils. These mechanisms risk increasing political influence and should be strengthened in line with the recently enacted European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

We have reaffirmed our readiness to support dialogue and share expertise to help ensure the final legislation protects the independence and effectiveness of public service media in Czechia.”