Czechs stage huge rally against public-media funding overhaul

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PRAGUE: Hundreds of thousands of Czechs rallied in Prague on Sunday against the nationalist government's plan to overhaul public-media funding, which critics see as a threat to press freedom.

The government of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants to switch from funding Czech TV and Czech Radio through licence fees paid by viewers and listeners to payments from the state budget.

Opponents say the move will stifle media freedom as it will make the outlets more dependent on the state.

"We need to keep media independent. The government is taking steps to control them, cut their funding and affect what they broadcast," computer programmer Jan Snasel told AFP at the rally.

Mikulas Minar, head of the Million Moments for Democracy group organising the rally, said that "between 350,000 and 450,000 people" showed up on the sunny Sunday afternoon.

Many wore triangular paper hats similar to a popular animated character from Czech TV that has become a symbol of the protest, while others sported banners saying "we won't give media away".

Babis's coalition, comprising his catch-all ANO party, the far-right SPD and the Eurosceptic Motorists, insists the plan will not affect editorial independence or programme content -- but broadcasters need to cut costs.

The proposal has already led to several large street protests since Culture Minister Oto Klempir introduced it in April.

Thousands demonstrated last month after the parliament rushed through a bill outlining the plans in a controversial overnight vote in the first of three readings, turning the time of the vote -- 4:36 -- into another symbol.

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