Employees of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) will go on strike on Monday (June 22) in response to the government-approved change in the funding of public media. According to representatives of the Verejnopravne initiative, the strike will affect all television and radio stations, with the exception of Rádio Junior and the Déčko station intended for children. The shape of the protest action was announced on Wednesday in front of the Czech Radio building, symbolically dressed in black at 11:55 a.m., informs TASR reporter in Prague.
- ČT and CRo workers announced a one-day strike on June 22.
- The strike will affect all stations except children’s Déčko and Junior.
- The reason for the strike is disagreement with the change in media funding.
- There is a threat of layoffs and a threat to the work autonomy of media employees.
- The government says it has no plans to control the content or operation of the media.
“On Monday, June 22, 2026, the workers of Czech Television and Czech Radio will go on a one-day warning strike announced in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms by the Public Law Initiative with the support of Czech Television and Czech Radio. We will not violate the law, the code or the memorandum and we will deliver public service,” announced Jan Herget from CRRo.
According to Jan Moláček from CT, workers have no other solution. According to him, the government coalition ignores not only the appeals of part of the society, but also the offers for a professional debate from the management of ČT and CRo. “There is a threat of massive redundancies, which, of course, will be felt primarily by viewers and listeners. The daily conditions of the employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio are also at risk, especially their work autonomy, that is, the possibility to work without political and other influences,” emphasized Moláček.
The protest is also supported by the Symphony Orchestra
According to representatives of the Public Right initiative, the strike will be visible on the web, social networks and teletext in addition to broadcasting. A protest rally in front of the CT news building will also be included. The Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra will also symbolically support the protest.
Herget added that the workers of both media are determined to continue with even stronger protests. “We will do everything to defend public media in their current form,” he said.
On Monday, the government of Andrej Babiš approved an amendment to the law on changing the financing of ČT and ČRo, as a result of which ČT will lose about one billion crowns and ČRo about 350 million. However, Babiš rejects criticism, according to him there is room for saving in both institutions. He emphasized that if the government wanted to, it could really screw up both media outlets by not approving their annual reports, but it didn’t want to do that and doesn’t want to either. He also repeatedly pointed out that the coalition does not intend to interfere with broadcasting or control the media, as the opposition claims.
However, on Tuesday, SPD deputy Josef Nerušil declared on the CRo Plus broadcast that the change in the financing of public service media should be followed by a strengthening of their control, including in the area of content. Czech Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (for the Motorists) objected to Nerušil’s statement and emphasized that politicians should not interfere in the content or management of the media.
