In a significant move for Czech public media, President Petr Pavel has signed legislation that will increase broadcasting fees for Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) starting this May. The monthly television fee will rise by 15 crowns to 150 crowns, while radio fees will increase by 10 crowns to 55 crowns.
The new law introduces a major change in how these fees are collected. Now, households with internet access will also be required to pay, regardless of whether they own traditional TV or radio receivers. The law maintains the principle of one payment per household, regardless of the number of devices family members possess.
The government justified the increase by pointing out that fees haven’t been adjusted since 2008 for television and 2005 for radio. The new legislation also includes an automatic inflation adjustment mechanism for future increases when inflation exceeds 6%, eliminating the need for parliamentary approval.
While opposition parties ANO and SPD unsuccessfully attempted to block the changes, proposing instead to fund public media through the state budget, the ruling coalition argued that such a move would effectively nationalize public media and subject it to government influence.
The law provides exemptions for several groups, including schools, the deaf, the blind, foreigners without permanent residence, and those whose income doesn’t exceed 2.15 times the subsistence minimum. Additionally, businesses with fewer than 25 employees will be exempt from these fees.