Press views implications of TV row

Vaclav Klaus: accused of seeking control over the media

Many observers see the battle for control of Czech TV as a sign that, just over a decade after the Velvet Revolution, the state of democracy in the country still leaves a lot to be desired.

The Czech press has sounded a warning note over the way in which the issue has become politicised, saying the efforts of politicians to influence the course of events does not augur well for media independence.

The paper Mlada fronta Dnes said it was wrong for politicians to be so directly involved in making appointments to the management of what was meant to be a public-sector broadcasting organisation.

The Czech president is on the journalists' side

It pointed out that the theoretically independent Council of Czech Television was in fact dominated by members of the two main political parties, the Social Democrats (CSSD) of Prime Minister Milos Zeman and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) led by former premier Vaclav Klaus.

The appointment of Director General Jiri Hodac amounted to a stitch-up between these two parties, the paper concluded.

"Top politicians in the ODS and Zeman's Social Democrats, whose government is enabled by the ODS under a power-sharing agreement, jointly decided who the new Director General of Czech TV should be," Mlada fronta Dnes said.

Propaganda battle

A commentary by the political scientist Jiri Pehe in the paper Pravo said the fact that Mr Hodac was closely associated with the ODS - he once applied to be Mr Klaus's press spokesman - meant that his appointment jeopardised the independence of the TV.

Czech TV has become the subject of dispute between two concepts of democracy

Jiri Pehe in Pravo

He said the ODS had badly mishandled the whole affair, as the public had instinctively sided with the rebel journalists and so the politicians had already lost the propaganda battle.

"The ODS made a mistake with its barely concealed attack on the independence of Czech TV," Mr Pehe wrote.

"Czech TV has in fact become the subject of dispute between two concepts of democracy - a democracy based on an open society of competent citizens and a democracy controlled by powerful groups of politicians and interest groups connected with them.

"The dispute over Czech TV can only harm the ODS now. Even if it wins the current battle, it has already lost the war," he added.

Vested interests

Mr Pehe is a former adviser to Czech President Vaclav Havel, who has declared his support for the rebel TV employees and who in his New Year message to the Czech people paid tribute to those journalists who refused to be influenced by powerful vested interests.

"There are not only journalists who serve power groups or seek popular sensations," Mr Havel said, in an address broadcast by Czech TV.

"There are also journalists who, in spite of all the risks, want to freely and independently uncover the truth, including the truth about the darkest matters," he added.

Implications for EU membership

In an interview with the Czech news agency CTK, the French political scientist Jacques Rupnik warned that the crisis could have a serious effect on the Czech Republic's image abroad and on its bid for EU membership.

The status of the media is a crucial factor when judging the consolidation of a democratic system

Jacques Rupnik

"Unfortunately, it cannot be ignored by the EU or other organisations... Suddenly, the Czech Republic seems to have joined the ranks of countries without a consolidated democracy," Mr Rupnik said.

"The status of the media, the public media in particular, is a crucial factor when judging the consolidation of a democratic system," he added.

Could do better

And in neighbouring Poland, a commentator in the paper Rzeczpospolita said his country also needed to do more to ensure the independence of public service broadcasting.

Pointing out that several leading figures in Polish TV had been actively involved in politics, Bronislaw Wildstein said Polish broadcasters could learn from the example of their Czech colleagues.

"They have succeeded in settling accounts with the past better than we have," he wrote.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.