Czech public TV and radio license fees to be replaced by state funding plan

Czech households and companies may soon stop paying monthly license fees for public broadcaster Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) under a new government proposal that would shift funding to the state budget.

Culture Minister Oto Klempír told Czech News Agency that the current fee-based system would be abolished and replaced with direct budget financing that includes an indexation mechanism to ensure predictable funding over time.

The proposal follows meetings with ČT director Hynek Chudárek and ČRo director René Zavoral, both of whom have long defended the existing model. Both warned that moving to state funding could threaten financial stability and media independence, though the ministry insists the institutions will remain autonomous.

Klempír said the draft law currently being prepared does not include any merger of ČT and ČRo. He also emphasized that media councils will continue to oversee both institutions, and that the aim is to change financing, not governance.

“Both media outlets will remain independent, and there are no plans to merge them,” Klempír said, adding that funding would be adjusted for inflation to maintain long-term stability.

ČRo director René Zavoral said the proposal is concerning for management, arguing that the current system of license fees functions well. He added that while the outline was not unexpected, he would need to discuss it further internally.

“I think the entire proposed system is bad, but I believe our arguments might still hold water,” he said after meeting the minister.

ČT director Hynek Chudárek said the issue would now be discussed in a broader working group involving the Ministry of Culture and both public media organizations. He stressed that ČT continues to favor retaining the fee system and said the ministry had so far indicated no intention to limit editorial independence.

According to internal estimates, replacing the fee system with the proposal discussed by the government could significantly reduce revenue. ČT said it could lose around CZK 2.1 billion annually, roughly one-third of its income, while ČRo estimated a potential loss of about CZK 800 million.

The funding shift is part of a broader policy direction outlined by the coalition government of Andrej Babiš, which was appointed last December and included the abolition of public media fees in its policy statement.

Opposition figures and the public broadcasters strongly oppose the move, arguing it could increase political influence over media funding. Government representatives, however, maintain that the new system would include safeguards to preserve independence.

Separately, Freedom and Direct Democracy leader Tomio Okamura has proposed an alternative bill that would abolish fees for selected groups, including seniors over 75, students under 26, and businesses, as early as this summer, with a full abolition planned for next year.

Okamura said he has already discussed the proposal with Klempír and intends to submit it to parliament soon, despite expected resistance from opposition parties. He also claimed that public broadcasting fees are now only used in a minority of EU countries.

If adopted, either proposal would mark one of the most significant changes to Czech public media funding in decades, directly affecting households and businesses across the country.