Thousands in Czech Republic protest government's public media funding plan

Thousands of people demonstrated in Prague on Sunday, protesting the Czech government's plan to overhaul the funding of public radio and television. This marks the latest in a series of protests, with public broadcasting employees planning a strike for Monday.

The government's approved plan aims to abolish the current fees paid by individuals, households, and businesses for accessing public radio and television. Instead, public media would become entirely dependent on the state budget. Critics argue this shift fundamentally threatens the independence of these media outlets.

Furthermore, the government's proposal includes significant cuts to the current budgets of public media and offers no future funding guarantees. Leaders of the national radio and television broadcasters have warned that such a situation would force them to lay off hundreds of employees.

The protests highlight a growing concern over potential government interference in public service media, with critics fearing a loss of editorial autonomy and a reduction in the quality and scope of programming.