According to Act No. 483/1991 Coll., on Czech Television, as amended, the Czech Television Council is a body through which the public exercises its right to check the activities of Czech Television, represented by its Director General. Not being part of Czech Television, the Council is also independent as regards finance, since the law obliges Czech Television to cover the Councils expenses without giving it any right to interfere with its work. The Council carries out checks on Czech Television in a manner specified by law and is accountable to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, to which it submits, by 31 March of each year, the Annual Report on the Activities of Czech Television, and by 31 August, the Annual Report on the Financial Performance of Czech Television, both for the previous calendar year.

The Council is elected by the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament from candidates nominated by a wide range of organisations and associations representing cultural, regional, social, trade union, employer, religious, educational, scientific, environmental and nationality interests. The Council has fifteen members elected for a six-year term, with one third of the members re-elected each year. The lower chamber may recall the Council in the event of a repeated failure to observe its duties stipulated by law and also in the event that either of its two reports is not approved by the Chamber of Deputies on two occasions. The provision relating to the non-approval of the annual reports replaced the original condition for recalling the Council, which applied in the event that, within six months, the lower chamber adopted two resolutions stating that Czech Television was not fulfilling its statutory mission.

The principal functions of the Council include the right to appoint and recall the Director General of Czech Television, to approve the establishment or closure of Czech Television studios on the basis of a proposal from the Director General and appoint or recall their respective directors, to approve, on the basis of a proposal from the Director General, the Czech Television Statute and submit the Czech Television Code to the Chamber of Deputies for approval.

The Council approves the long-term plan of CT programming development, oversees the fulfilment of Czech Televisions tasks in the area of public service TV broadcasting and monitors adherence to the principles ensuing from the Czech Television Code. In this respect, the Council is authorised to issue opinions and recommendations concerning Czech Television output, although it may not intervene in the making and broadcasting of programmes.

The Czech Television Council has significant powers of control in the field of CT financing: it approves the budget of Czech Television, checks its fulfilment, approves the final accounts of Czech Television and long-term plans for technological and economic development. It was for these purposes that the amendment to the Czech Television Act (2001) set up an advisory body to the Czech Television Council – the Supervisory Commission. The Commission has five members serving for a two-year term, who are elected and recalled by the Czech Television Council.

The task of the Commission is to monitor whether financial resources and property are being used effectively and economically, to inform the Czech Television Council of any deficiencies ascertained and propose measures to remove them. By law, the Commission has access to all information on the financial management and business results of Czech Television and the right to require the submission of such data by the corporation's employees. The Commission submits quarterly reports to the Czech Television Council and, by 30 June, its analysis of Czech Television's financial performance in the previous calendar year.

Members of the Czech Television Council and the Supervisory Commission of the Czech Television Council in 2002

Fourth Czech Television Council

The fourth Czech Television Council was elected by the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament on 25 May, 2001, on the basis of Act No. 39/2001 Coll., amending the Czech Television Act, its membership enlarged to fifteen, and its term extended, for the first time, to six years, with one third of the members to be replaced every two years. After the resignation of one member in 2001 the Council working in 2002 was composed of the following members:

Supervisory Commission of the Czech Television Council
(as of 21 June 2001)

On 6 March 2002 the entire Supervisory Commission resigned after being called on to do so on 27 February, when the Czech Television Council raised objections to its work. The new Supervisory Commission was elected by the Council on 3 April, 2002.