“All considerations on changing the status and financing of public media are still only proposals in progress. Czech Television has a full-fledged management, a quality management system, it operates according to the rules set by the current Act on CT, the Code of CT and the Memorandum on the method of fulfilling the public service in the field of television broadcasting. As long as these rules apply, I insist that the independence of CT is not threatened,” he explained.
He added that what could realistically threaten the independence of public television is the chaotic nature of the proposed changes.
The director’s approach was appreciated by the Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motorists). “Thank you Mr. Chudárek! This is a fair statement. The independence of public media was not and is not threatened,” he wrote on the X network.
Betting standby
The trade unions of Czech Television and Radio and the Public Law initiative went on strike on Wednesday. Unlike Chudárek, it was justified precisely by the fear of the loss of independence of CT after its financing will be fully dependent on the state budget.
For the same reason, students across the Czech Republic also demonstrated on Wednesday. In connection with the manifesto, the director of CT surprised by his response to a question about what he would say to the students who took to the streets. He repeated again that he is not worried about independence. “We are the management there to defend this,” he added.
On the same day, Chudárek met with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. After the meeting, Babiš promised that he would initiate and personally lead a working group for changing the media legislation. This should be created when the comment procedure on the draft law on public service media is completed, i.e. after May 15.
Chudárek added on Wednesday at a briefing on the Kavče Mountains that he had expected the announcement of a bet emergency. “That was expected, that’s not a new thing. I said that the whole thing took place very calmly, especially on Czech TV it was a very cultured affair,” he commented.
