Czech public broadcasters hold historic strike following government vote to abolish license fees

First published in Deník N. A strike by workers of public TV and radio workers interrupted broadcasts and drew thousands of people onto the streets across the Czech Republic. Thousands of protesters gathered in Prague, Brno and Ostrava demonstrations supported by media, students, theatres and more than 300 Czech athletes. “An unprecedented day in the history of Czech public service media has begun”, said Michal Kubal, Czech Television’s news chief, at 00:00 on 3 November 2026 marking a start to an all-day strike by the broadcasting workers. He read an opening statement from a sheet of paper during the midnight dispatch. “This broadcast will change. The midnight news is one of many programmes that will look completely different on Czech Television screens from what viewers are used to,” Daniel Stach said on air. The organiser of the strike appeared on TV with a darkened studio as backdrop. The start of public media workers’ strike was announced by Michal Kubal and Daniel Stach on the ČT24 station (Source: ČT24) Presenter Kubal went on to explain that staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio were using the one-day strike to fight for independence of both public service media outlets, in response to a government moves to scrap license fees and move public their funding to the state budget. TV management had concluded a memorandum with the strike organisers under which media staff would provide essential news coverage in the event of extraordinary developments. "A large majority of women and men working at both media outlets have joined the strike. This afternoon, they will also take part in public gatherings in Prague and other cities in support of public service media," Kubal added. Those tuning into ČT24 could see a notice about the the public broadcaster's news network minimalist provisional regime. "Czech Television employees are on strike. We are doing everything we can to ensure that we can continue providing a public service in full and to the highest standard in the future," the notice read. A STEM/MARK survey for Czech Television says 68 percent of people of Czechs agree public service media should stay well away from state control or private ownership. Demonstrators gathered at Wenceslas Square in Prague, and also across the Czech Republic, on Tuesday (3 November), during a nationwide walkout by staff of public service broadcasters Czech Television and Czech Radio. (Source: EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK) "Thank you for watching Czech Television — in times of crisis, at historically pivotal moments and on entirely ordinary weekdays," said Stach, one of the leading figures of the Veřejnoprávně initiative, which called the strike, as he concluded the roughly five-minute midnight news bulletin.