Czech public broadcasters funding plan prompts Prague rally over media independence

Thousands of people rallied in Prague on Sunday over a government plan that would change how Czech public broadcasters are funded. Protesters said the move could weaken media independence under Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s coalition. The crowd gathered outside Czech public television offices, with organisers framing the issue as a public interest matter.

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The demonstration followed earlier protest marches in Prague and several regional capitals. It also came one day before broadcaster staff planned a warning strike. Supporters of public radio and television said the funding rewrite arrived alongside repeated attacks on public and other mainstream media by Babiš, cabinet members and loyal lawmakers.

Czech public broadcasters funding plan and budget shift

Under the plan approved by the government on Monday, public radio and television would be paid from the state budget from next year. The system would replace fees now paid by individuals, households and businesses. Critics argued that direct budget funding could make broadcasters more dependent on political decisions.

Opponents compared the proposal to steps taken by populist leaders in nearby countries. They said it could let the three-party coalition gain leverage over coverage, citing Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Protest leaders said the change risked giving politicians influence over editorial choices.

Czech public broadcasters funding cuts and staff warnings

International media organisations also criticised the proposal. Critics said the plan would provide about 15 per cent less money than broadcasters received this year. They also noted it included no long-term guarantees for future budgets. Directors of public radio and television said such limits would force large cost reductions.

The directors warned that the funding drop could lead to hundreds of job losses. They said staffing cuts would affect operations and programming across public services. Andrej Babiš defended the plan by saying the media should reduce spending. Supporters of the current model said stable funding helped protect independence.

Czech public broadcasters funding debate and political agenda

One organiser linked the protest directly to public ownership of the broadcasters. "The media dont belong to politicians,\" Mikuláš Minár, a main organizer from the Million Moments for Democracy group said. \"They belong to us all and we wont allow them to be stolen from us.\"

The dispute unfolded as Babiš’s coalition pursued a broader political agenda. That agenda included steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key EU policies. Protesters said the funding plan raised fresh questions about checks and balances, as staff prepared the warning strike planned for Monday.

With inputs from PTI