Czech news in brief for June 15: Monday's top afternoon headlines

Good afternoon, it's a busy start of the week, with more tragic news coming out of Croatia, a hotly debated media reform apparently moving forward, and a possible crackdown on drink-spiking. Here are today's top news.

After months of debate, the government approved a controversial bill to change how Czech public media is funded, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř said today. Abolishing the license fees paid until now by Czech households, the law plans to fund the two public broadcasters directly from the state budget. Czech Television will receive CZK 5.74 billion from next year (one billion less than compared to this year's revenues) and Czech Radio should get a little over CZK 2 billion (CZK 400 million less than in 2026).

Why it matters. The reform has faced heavy criticism, including from the broadcasters themselves who said that reduced funding will lead to production cuts and layoffs. Opposition politicians today warned that the government was trying to "nationalize" public media, reduce their independence and gain more leverage over their reporting.

Sunday's boat collision near Split, in Croatia, has now claimed the lives of four Czech citizens after the body of a still missing person was found today by divers. Three other Czechs had already been found dead on Sunday, and four others were taken to hospital without any serious injuries. According to official statements, the body of the missing Czech was found in the bowels of the boat, which now lies more than 50 meters deep at the bottom of the sea.

Rare boating accidents. Such accidents are rare despite the hundreds of thousands of Czechs spending their holidays in Croatia every year. A larger number of Czech tourists have however lost their lives on Croatian roads over the past years, including in a tragic 2012 bus accident that killed eight people and injured dozens near the Sveti Rok tunnel.

The St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle now has a new organ after it was officially blessed by former Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl as part of a special liturgical mass. Built by Spanish master organ maker Gerhard Grenzing, the new organ cost up to CZK 160 million, with the money raised through a nationwide fundraising campaign that is still going on.

First event of its kind. Today's ceremony was reportedly inspired by the special church service organized after the repair of the organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and will be a first in the Czech Republic. The event will be followed by a series of six concerts ending with a televised gala concert on June 21.

Otherwise known as "drink-spiking", the act of administering an addictive substance to a person without their knowledge could soon be considered a criminal offense, according to a proposal sent today to the lower house of Parliament. Government officials said the new law against drink-spiking - also often linked to cases of sexual abuse - is part of its efforts to fight addiction and drug use.

Who's concerned? According to a recent study by the Beat Sexism organization, about one-third of young Czech people have had some experience with drink-spiking. Most victims are women, and the majority of them doesn't report such incidents, according to the survey.

German electronic music legends Kraftwerk will perform at Prague's Forum Karlín on July 15 as part of their world tour, organizers announced. Promoters are promising a unique audiovisual show blending electronic music with robotic aethetics and futuristic digital animations from the iconic German band founded more than 50 years ago. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster and Ticketportal from CZK 1,690.