# Czechs gather in big numbers to reject government’s plan to overhaul funding of public media

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/czechs-gather-in-big-numbers-to-reject-governments-plan-to-overhaul-funding-of-public-media/
- Published: 2026-11-15T15:22:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T18:57:02+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andrej-babis-prague-robert-fico-viktor-orban-european-parliament-b3085234.html
- Topics: Government, Politics

## Key points

- An estimated 350,000 people protested in Prague.
- The plan would cut public broadcasters’ funding by about 15%.
- Babiš says the overhaul will not affect media freedom.

## Summary

An estimated 350,000 people rallied in Prague against the Czech government’s plan to change how public radio and television are funded. Protesters say the plan could weaken media independence and democracy, while Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has denied it would affect media freedom.

The proposal would replace regular fees paid by individuals, households and businesses with state-budget funding, giving broadcasters about 15% less money. The coalition advanced the bill through its first parliamentary reading after restricting opposition speaking time; media workers later went on strike. The dispute has also been debated in the European Parliament, where the EU justice commissioner called for public media funding to be transparent, sustainable and predictable.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.