Final Word from Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Chief Prosecutor Marie Beneąová publicly apologized to CEO Petr Dvořák of TV Nova for accusing one of his reporters of taking a bribe, but the public can't expect Dvořák to apologize for 'bribing' politicians into giving TV Nova and TV Prima an extra Kč 1bn in annual ad revenue. Nova and Prima reportedly promised Premier Jiří Paroubek good TV coverage in return for a ban on ads at Czech TV. It's clear what Nova, Prima and Paroubek got, but why did CEO Jiří Janeček of Czech TV go along? True, he got a jump in the monthly user's fee, but he failed to get the crucial automatic adjustment that would free ČT of political interference. Respekt noted that ČT will in fact be more susceptible in the future to political extortion. Paroubek said he won't tolerate any more wild remarks of the kind Beneąová let loose, otherwise she might have a few choice words for Janeček's odd behavior. [Czech Republic Television license increase advertising commercials elections]