Czechia hikes TV and radio license fees: Here's what you'll pay

Television and radio license fees in Czechia are set to rise for the first time in well over a decade, according to an announcement the Ministry of Culture made Tuesday.

Starting next year, the monthly television fee will rise by CZK 25, to CZK 160, while radio listeners will see a CZK 10 increase, bringing the monthly fee to CZK 55. This change is expected to bolster the annual revenues of Czech Television by a notable CZK 1.4 billion and Czech Radio by CZK 626 million, a significant contribution to their budgets.

Culture Minister Martin Baxa defended this increase by pointing out that fees for public broadcasting had remained unchanged for a remarkable 15 years in the case of Czech Television and 18 years for Czech Radio, despite large rises in inflation since then. The current fee, he noted, is approximately half of what it should be to sustain quality public broadcasting. He emphasized that this investment in public media would ultimately benefit each citizen.

One of the key changes accompanying this fee increase is the expansion of the fee's scope, expected to draw in a wider range of contributors. From 2025 onwards, the fee will be applicable to any device capable of receiving and reproducing radio or television broadcasts, including mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. 

Households with multiple such devices will only pay one fee, while small businesses with up to five employees and self-employed individuals will be exempt. Larger companies and legal entities will pay fees according to the number of employees.

Currently, 3.3 million people pay the television fee to Czech Television, while 3 million households and companies contribute to the funding of Czech Radio stations. The estimated impact of these changes indicates that by including devices like mobile phones, tablets, and computers, the number of fee payers will increase by approximately 230,000.

Jan Souček, the newly appointed CEO of Czech Television, emphasized the need for increased investment in both content production and infrastructure, planning to boost investments by approximately one-third in the coming years.

The impending increase in television and radio fees in the Czech Republic marks a significant step in revitalizing public broadcasting and ensuring its sustainability in an evolving media landscape.