Czechia braces for massive protest as anger over government's public media reform plans boils

A fast-tracked bill on public media funding reform has sparked strikes, rallies and fears for the independence of public broadcasting in Czechia. A massive protest is due to take place in Prague on November 15. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to rally in Prague this weekend to protest the Czech government's bid to ram a bill to reform public media funding through parliament in a surprise overnight session late last month.

The populist coalition of Prime Minister Andrej Babis fast-tracked the first of three readings of the legislation, which culminated in a vote of approval at 04:36 a.m. on October 24. The bill has already provoked numerous demonstrations and strikes across the country, but Sunday's gathering in the capital's Letna Park is likely to be by far the largest to date.

Under the government's proposal, the license fee model that currently funds Czech Television (CT) and Czech Radio (CRo) would be scrapped, and the broadcasters would be funded directly from the state budget.