Czech Vote Sends Public Media Money to State Budget, Cutting Fees by 15%

The Czech Republic's public broadcasters face a change in how they are paid.

A coalition led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis moved the bill forward during an overnight session that ran into early Saturday, sending it to committees for further discussion. The proposal ends the 205 crown ($9.45) household broadcasting fee and routes that money through the state budget instead. Funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio would drop by about 15 percent, with nominal amounts held flat for several years. Babis campaigned on abolishing the fee before taking office last December, and his three-party government, which has backing from the far-right SPD party, says it is carrying out that pledge. Babis posted on Facebook late Friday that he rejects claims the plan threatens press freedom, writing: "There is no war for independent media." He has called the model fairer for poorer households and said it would push outlets to run more efficiently.

Opposition parties have compared the plan to reforms carried out under Viktor Orban, the former prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Staff at the public broadcasters went on strike in June, saying state budget funding would expose them to government pressure. Public media rank among the most trusted news sources in the country, and Czech Television is the most watched broadcaster across several age groups. The government has often criticised both public and private media over coverage of its policies and has accused some outlets of bias.

Protests are scheduled to continue. A civic group planned a public demonstration for Sunday, and journalists and other employees at the broadcasters announced a strike for November 3. The bill still needs to clear committee review and further parliamentary stages before it becomes law.