Czech govt causes alarm by seeking to scrap license fee
Key takeaways
- The Czech government has approved a bill to put the funding of public service media under direct political control.
- On June 15, the cabinet kept this promise by giving the nod to a corresponding bill.
- He also said it will push CT and CRo to improve efficiency.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The Czech government has approved a bill to put the funding of public service media under direct political control. Critics warn that if passed, the bill would put a pillar of Czech democracy at risk.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fi2r If a bill presented by the Czech government is approved by both houses of parliament and signed by the president, the current license fee will be scrapped in 2027Image: Marketa Vojtikova/CTK/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement In their campaign ahead of last autumn's election, the populist and far-right parties that now make up Czechia's coalition government promised a revamp of Czech Television (CT) and Czech Radio (CRo).
On June 15, the cabinet kept this promise by giving the nod to a corresponding bill.