Thousands of Czechs rally against a government plan to overhaul the funding of public broadcasters

Audio By Carbonatix

PRAGUE (AP) — Thousands of Czechs rallied in the capital on Sunday to condemn a plan by the government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to overhaul funding for public broadcasters that is considered dangerous for their independence.

The protesters gathered in front of the Czech public television offices in Prague to voice their support for the media a day before their staffers plan to go on a warning strike, and after recent protest marches in the regional capitals and Prague.

According to the plan approved last week, public radio and television would be financed from the state budget starting next year, and not from fees paid by individuals, households and businesses.

Critics say that change would give the three-party coalition government a means to take control of the media following the examples of populist governments in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and in Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

“The media don’t belong to politicians,” Mikuláš Minář, a main organizer from the Million Moments for Democracy group said. “They belong to us all and we won’t allow them to be stolen from us.”

Babiš, members of his government and loyal lawmakers have a record of attacks against the public and other mainstream media.

The government plan, which has been criticized by international media organizations, would give the media about 15% less money than they have this year. It contains no guarantees of funding in the future.

The directors of public radio and television said that would require them to lay off hundreds of staffers. Babiš said that the media need to save money.

The agenda of Babiš' coalition includes steering the country away from supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia, and rejecting some key EU policies.