Written by journalist Danylo Aleksandrov

Czech government approved the bill that scraps the license fees which were used to fund the public media, leaving funding from the state as the only option.

On Monday the bill was approved by the government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. It removes the license fee that the media would have to pay. Now, all the media would receive directly from Czech budget. It would affect the television and radio. The funding given by the state would be a fixed sum given annually. It would amount to around the license fee revenues the media collected between the years2008 and 2024.

Czech Minister Oto Klempir, from the Motorists party, in a press conference where Babiš was also present said that the government’s move is only mirroring the practices already in use in most of the other EU member states. The PM added that the measure would also help with enforcing oversight for the media, saying that two outlets did not make any cost savings and that nobody controls them.

Right from the moment it was announced, the bill sparked controversy and protests. Its cancellation was one of the main demands from the participants of anti government protest that happened in March in Prague. The main criticism of the legislation was that it would give the government leverage against the media – as they would be controlling all the finances that might be allocated. Therefore, it could put pressure the media, hurting the free speech.

Staff working at Czech TV and Czech Radio have declared a general strike for 24 hours. At the same time Reporters Without Borders (RSF) were very vocal in their condemnation of the bill, urging European Commission to "do all that is in its powers" to make the government of Czechia repeal the legislation.

The government approval is not enough for the bill to become effective, as it still has to pass through the Czech Parliament and signed by the President. If this happens, the law would be implemented starting from 1st of January 2027.