Thousands protest Czech public-media funding overhaul

Thousands of people gathered in Prague on Sunday, October 25, to protest the government’s proposed overhaul of public television and radio funding, warning it could threaten the broadcasters’ independence. The demonstration followed the lower house’s initial approval of legislation that would replace fees paid by households and businesses with funding from the state budget. The proposal still needs approval from the Czech Parliament’s upper house before it can become law. It would reduce funding for the broadcasters by about 15%, according to the reported plan. The government’s proposed cut is not an enacted budget change. Critics at the rally said that relying on state allocations could expose public media to political pressure. Protesters called for the bill to be withdrawn and for a fuller public debate. The question of whether the funding change would compromise editorial independence remains disputed; the proposal itself has not established that such interference would occur. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš rejected the claim that the plan would undermine independence. He said funding would be guaranteed by law as mandatory expenditure and that the government would not...