PRAGUE, April 22 (Reuters) – Unions at Czech Television and Czech Radio warned they were preparing to strike on Wednesday over what they see as a threat to their independence from planned government reforms of the state broadcasters’ funding, including scrapping a licence fee.
The ruling coalition plans to begin phasing out the licence fee this year and bring the broadcasters’ funding completely under the state budget from next year. Both steps would reduce funding for state media overall.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his populist ANO party pledged to end licence fees in last year’s election. The user fees were increased last year for the first time in nearly two decades to a combined 205 crowns ($9.90) per month.
The unions declared a strike alert on Wednesday, a preparatory step towards going on strike.
Deputy Chairwoman of the Independent Unions at Czech Television, Zuzana Bancanska, told hundreds of staff outside the station that the changes would lead to mass layoffs.
“Both media will be unable to perform their public service, which can lead to their demise,” she said, calling on the public to back the media’s independence.
GOVERNMENT REJECTS MEDDLING ACCUSATIONS
The government, which did not immediately comment, rejects allegations it aims to meddle in coverage, arguing state funding is common in Europe.
Critics have said the reforms mirrored steps towards political control in Slovakia and Hungary, the latter under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Babis’ close European ally in their Patriots for Europe group.
Czech Television and Czech Radio chiefs said in a statement on Monday the proposed changes failed to set sufficient guarantees for independence, were poorly designed and opened room for legal uncertainty, external pressure and weakening of editorial autonomy.
Babis has been critical of both public and independent private media coverage of his political and business affairs.
Watchdog Reporters Without Borders said the plans were chaotic, “pulling the rug out” from under the broadcasters.
($1 = 20.7090 Czech crowns)
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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