Final Word from Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Vice Chair Marek Ebert of the ČTÚ telecoms regulator didsuch a poor job last week of convincing viewers of ČT24'sHyde Park that his office is working for the people - and notthe telecoms operators - that he received an amazing 97% disapprovalrating. If ČT's OVM debate show allowed viewers torate participants, Ebert's boss, Pavel Dvořák, would have nodoubt received an even worse rating for a performance thatwas as dull as dishwater. In contrast, Ondřej Malý of HN wasbrilliant in showing that ČTÚ has systematically used misleadingdata to deflect claims that Czech calling rates are outof proportion. He also stressed that ČTÚ has failed to use itsinformal authority to rein in the operators. Jakub Chytil of oneof these operators, O2, wins the perverted-logic award for statingthat it's not proper to even hint at the idea of a cartel agreement,because if there were one, ČTÚ would crack down on it.The lesson from this for Petr Nečas is that if he wants to boosthis own approval rating, he only needs to clean house at ČTÚ.
Glossary of difficult words
dull as dishwater - extremely lacking in interest and excitement;
to deflect - to divert; to cause something to change direction by interposing something;
to rein in - to keep under control; to constrain;
perverted logic - argumentation based on a false assumption;
to crack down - to take severe measures against;
to clean house - to make extensive changes; to eliminate corruption or inefficiency.