Thousands of employees at Czech Television and Czech Radio launched a 24-hour strike in June 2026, opposing government plans to overhaul public broadcaster funding. The proposal, backed by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s administration, would eliminate the existing licence fee system and instead fund the broadcasters through annual state budget allocations. Critics argue this shift would effectively reduce funding to 2008 levels—cutting £35.8 million from Czech Television and £14.3 million from Czech Radio—despite inflation and rising operational costs.

The dispute extends beyond finances. Staff and media scholars fear that direct state funding could erode the independence of public service media, echoing concerns from before 1989, when political leaders controlled broadcast content. Pavla Kubálková of Czech Television’s strike committee emphasized that the core issue is preserving the direct relationship between broadcasters and viewers, free from political interference. International watchdogs, including the International Press Institute, have echoed these concerns, citing risks to the European Media Freedom Act.

Supporters of the reform, including Culture Minister Oto Klempíř, argue that the legal safeguards for editorial independence remain unchanged and point to a broader European trend of state-funded public media. However, opposition leaders and media experts warn the changes mirror steps taken in neighboring Slovakia, where the public broadcaster was recently dissolved. The Pirate Party has referred the issue to the European Commission and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, urging scrutiny under European standards.