People gather for a demonstration in support of public media and criticizing the government's handling of the legislation in parliament in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Michal Turek)
People gather for a demonstration in support of public media and criticizing the government's handling of the legislation in parliament in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Michal Turek)
PRAGUE: Hundreds of thousands of Czechs rallied in Prague on Sunday against the nationalist government's plan to overhaul public-media funding, which critics see as a threat to press freedom.
The government of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants to switch from funding Czech TV and Czech Radio through licence fees paid by viewers and listeners to payments from the state budget.
Opponents say the move will stifle media freedom as it will make the outlets more dependent on the state.
"We need to keep media independent. The government is taking steps to control them, cut their funding and affect what they broadcast," computer programmer Jan Snasel told AFP at the rally.
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Mikulas Minar, head of the Million Moments for Democracy group organising the rally, said that "between 350,000 and 450,000 people" showed up on the sunny Sunday afternoon.
Many wore triangular paper hats similar to a popular animated character from Czech TV that has become a symbol of the protest, while others sported banners saying "we won't give media away".
Babis's coalition, comprising his catch-all ANO party, the far-right SPD and the Eurosceptic Motorists, insists the plan will not affect editorial independence or programme content -- but broadcasters need to cut costs.
The proposal has already led to several large street protests since Culture Minister Oto Klempir introduced it in April.
Thousands demonstrated last month after the parliament rushed through a bill outlining the plans in a controversial overnight vote in the first of three readings, turning the time of the vote -- 4:36 -- into another symbol.
On November 3, Czech TV and Czech Radio staff went on a one-day strike, while thousands including university students rallied across the country.
People gather on the day of a protest rally in support of public media as the Czech government plans to cut funding and move financing to the state budget, in Prague, Czech Republic, November 15, 2026. REUTERS/David W Cerny
People gather on the day of a protest rally in support of public media as the Czech government plans to cut funding and move financing to the state budget, in Prague, Czech Republic, November 15, 2026. REUTERS/David W Cerny
INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM
But Sunday's rally spilled over into a broader protest against the Babis government.
"I have come to support free media, Czech TV, Czech Radio, but also culture, environment protection, there are so many issues. It's not only about media," Prague teacher and researcher Lucie Fajfrova said.
Protesters also targeted far-right parliament speaker Tomio Okamura, the SPD chairman.
Minar presented a petition calling on the government to withdraw the media financing bill, but also to dismiss Okamura, accusing his "pro-Russian SPD" of endangering national security.
The Million Moments group brought an estimated quarter of a million protesters to each of the three previous rallies against Babis - two during his first stint as premier from 2017 to 2021 and one in March this year.
However, Babis's ANO still enjoys the backing of some 30 per cent in opinion polls.
People gather on the day of a protest rally in support of public media as the Czech government plans to cut funding and move financing to the state budget, in Prague, Czech Republic, November 15, 2026. REUTERS/David W Cerny
The proposed media reform, which would slash state television and radio budgets by around 15 percent, has attracted international attention.
The European Broadcasting Union, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute have all criticised it.
They have accused Babis of mirroring the muzzling of public media carried out by his allies in other countries, notably Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungary's ex-leader Viktor Orban.
Trust in the media is low in the Czech Republic, at around 30 to 33 percent, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026.
"Public service broadcasters remain the most trusted brands, despite increasing attempts by various political actors to undermine their credibility," the report said.
Babis said last week that "nobody wants to control public media, let alone nationalise them" and that "none of what the people are protesting against... is true".