Czechia: Up to 450,000 protest plan to abolish public broadcasting fees
Hundreds of thousands of people filled Prague in a protest against the Czech government’s plan to abolish broadcasting licence fees and fund public television and radio from the state budget instead. Organisers put turnout at 350,000 to 450,000, crowding public transport as many arrived from other cities by bus and train. The proposal, introduced in April, has already triggered several large demonstrations and a one-day strike by Czech TV and radio.
Critics say the change would put public broadcasters under the right-wing government of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, whose coalition includes his ANO party, the far-right SPD and the Eurosceptic Motorists. The government argues editorial independence would be untouched and that broadcasters must cut costs; the suggested reform would shrink public media’s budget by 15 percent. Babis last week denied any interest in controlling or nationalising public media, saying none of what protesters claim is true. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka accused organisers of turning demonstrations into a business.
The European Broadcasting Union, the European Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have criticised the plan. Polls still put ANO around 30 percent support even as the coalition itself drew fire at the rallies. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report for 2026 puts overall trust in Czech media at only 30 to 33 percent, while public broadcasters remain the most trusted brands.
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