00:01As a TV reporter, Jakub Santo spent almost 30 years reporting from conflict zones across the Middle East and the
00:08countries of the former Soviet Union.
00:10Now, as deputy head of the International News Department at Czech Television, he's facing a very different kind of uncertainty,
00:18namely a change to the funding of Czech Radio and Czech Television, the country's two public broadcasters.
00:26We are afraid of the financial gutting of both the institutions, which would limit the possibility of us fulfilling today
00:36what we have to do according to the law.
00:39The Czech government is planning to overhaul how public service media are funded from 2027.
00:45The proposal would scrap license fees for households, funding public media directly out of the state budget instead.
00:51The government says the reform will cut costs and modernize the system. The journalists disagree.
00:58We're afraid of, while we might be put under state control, it would mean that prime minister or ministers or
01:07some other people in the government
01:09might actually be able to just pick up a telephone and call to somebody in charge here in the news,
01:14that they don't want that covered or they want it covered in a way that would be beneficial to them,
01:19which is absolutely unacceptable when it comes to free journalism in the 21st and also 20th century.
01:26Analysts say that while state funding is not a problem in itself, they warn it could open the door to
01:31political influence.
01:33State budget model itself isn't necessarily bad. The real issue is the hidden motives of the politicians.
01:42Some coalition politicians openly use phrases like clipping the wings of Czech TV or they admit the real target is
01:51the news department of Czech TV.
01:52So any funding model is only as strong as its checks and balances.
01:58Public broadcasters across Central Europe are facing increasing political pressure.
02:03Critics in Hungary and Slovakia say that reforms there have weakened media independence.
02:09Czech journalists now fear a similar outcome.
02:11A group of journalists called Verno Pravny, which means keep it public, recently issued a statement declaring that it is
02:19determined to defend the principles of public service media, which it stresses is one of the pillars of democracy.
02:25The statement has already been signed by more than 3,000 employees at Czech television and Czech radio.
02:32There is also growing public support for the movement across the country.
02:35In recent weeks, thousands of university students have taken to the streets in Prague to protest the proposed reform.
02:42The journalists have also sought support from public figures.
02:46We make the effort because we are afraid about the future of public service media.
02:53So we asked famous persons in the Czech Republic, they are making videos where they support us.
03:01For example, directors, actors, writers, etc.
03:06And it's important for the public, but also for us, like for the journalists, because we can feel the support
03:13and we don't feel alone.
03:16Staff at Czech radio and Czech television have also issued a strike alert.
03:21The journalists say that they have already noticed a change in recent months.
03:26Even now, under the really mounting criticism by the government and by various people who are already crossing the boundaries
03:35of what is acceptable in a democratic society,
03:39and actually giving warnings on live television to the anchor who's doing his job, is something which is already happening
03:48now.
03:49For Santo, the question is no longer just how to report the news, but whether he will in future be
03:55able to report it freely at all.
03:57Support the Quorum, which is not practical, wonNot working, able to report it HOL a ì–´ë– Ã¶n point appear to be
04:01able to report it shortly after being told once again as often.
04:01Where they can report the news is not keyword for anyone.
04:01Over the past�� of the World, the target that is usually
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