The rally in front of the television station (ČT) was directed against the plans of Andrej Babiš. His government decided a few days ago to abolish radio and television fees and to finance the broadcasters directly from the state budget in the future – with less money than before.
Billionaire Babiš stated that there was enough potential for savings at the broadcasters and promised there would be no political interference. The demonstrators and speakers warned, however, that the broadcasters could become mouthpieces of the government. “The media do not belong to politicians,” said co-organizer Mikuláš Minář. “They belong to all of us, and we will not allow them to be stolen from us.”
The demonstration was called by the movement “A Million Moments for Democracy.” Because of the government’s plans, station chiefs said they would have to lay off hundreds of employees. For this Monday, employees of ČT and ČRo announced a warning strike.
Source: www.zeit.de
