Second Try

The CT Council decided to select a new Managing Director in a selection procedure by invitation - directly addressing personalities, the invitation of whom would be approved by a majority of votes. The Council invited the public to make proposals and committed itself to make a decision by end of January 2000. On January 26, the Council actually did elect a new Managing Director, Dušan Chmelíček, a member of the present top management of CT and one of the managers who came to CT during the term of office served by Puchalský (starting in August 1998, he headed the Legal and Contractual Department of CT, and starting in June 1999, he worked as Director for Strategic Development). The result of the election brought about a schism in the CT Council - in reaction, three members of the Council resigned. The Council was criticized for its decision and its speed by certain deputies in Parliament as well. Approximately one month after the election of the new Managing Director, the CT Council was recalled on March 10, 2000, by the House of Deputies, using a clause in the Act on Czech Television which stipulates that the CT Council may be recalled when it has been declared twice that Czech Television had not fulfilled its mission - and the House of Deputies performed the recall. Thus, the new Managing Director of CT, shortly after assuming office, faced a situation in which the CT Council that had elected him was itself recalled by the deputies.

Chmelíček invited some of the CT managers who had worked at CT during the time when Ivo Mathé was Managing Director to rejoin the team. After consultations, he decided to keep the producer system at CT. He appointed a group to prepare the program scheme for 2001. He initiated discussions with representatives of independent producers and authors. He created the new position of News Director (to whom the editorial offices of News, Sports, and Publicity reported), and after a selection procedure, he appointed Jiří Hodač as the News Director. However, Hodač resigned in August after less than half a year in office, stating that he did not agree with the approach by CT management toward the concept of developing the CT news directorate presented by him; in other words, the reason was the lost support of the Managing Director. This situation was preceded by a conflict between Hodač and the news staff, which had lasted at least since June, when Hodač recalled Roman Prorok, moderator of the discussion program called "At High Noon", and appointed Antonín Zelenka in his place, in reaction to a complaint made by Václav Klaus on the method of preparation of the program. While the News Director claimed professional reasons and refused to admit political influence behind his decision, many people thought the contrary and considered Hodač to be too close to the Civil Democratic Party. Soon afterwards, Chief News Editor Zdeněk Šámal resigned when he disapproved of the publication of the CT management's standpoint on the recall of Prorok, ordered by Šámal's superior, Hodač. Most of the editors stood behind the former chief editor and even sent a complaint on Hodač to the CT Council.

On April 13, 2000, the House of Deputies elected 7 out of 9 members of the CT Council, based on proposals made by deputy clubs; the remaining members were elected on May 26 and July 11. The third CT Council elected Miroslav Mareš as its chairman.

The relationship between the new CT Council and Managing Director Chmelíček was filled with conflict almost from the very beginning. The Council criticized material presented by the Managing Director which evaluated the first four months of his term of office and the new Articles of Czech Television presented by him, and the Council was not satisfied with the implementation of the project based on which Chmelíček was elected. In August Jana Dědečková, a member of the Council, proposed to vote on a recall of the Managing Director, but the Council postponed this agenda item to a later time.

Early in October 2000, Chmelíček, after a complaint made by Sazka, prevented the broadcasting of a prepared report called "Helping others to win?" on grounds that the opinion of Sazka was not included, and met personally with the CEO of Sazka. Although one week later the report with the added opinion was broadcast, this matter was considered a failing on the part of the Managing Director. At the same time, the CT Council strongly criticized the "Sharply" program and the broadcasting of information pertaining to the IMF and WB Conference in Prague, and held Chmelíček responsible.

Early in November, Chmelíček put together an advisory committee of invited independent personalities which was supposed to intensify the feedback between CT and the public and monitor the program trends at CT. The CT management presented the program scheme for 2001 to the public, emphasizing alternatives to the commercial programs offered on other channels, and the mutually supplementary relationship of the CT1 and CT2 channels. In late November, CT organized a conference at the Convention Center in Prague, titled Czech Television - A Public Matter, which provided a platform for a wide specialized discussion on Czech Television. Chmelíček, to a certain extent, managed to enliven the then prevailing very weak communication with the expert public and the internal communication as well.

During the autumn of 2000, however, the virtually permanent conflict between the Managing Director and the CT Council continued regarding the above-mentioned issues, but the Council also had major objections to the budget proposed for 2001, as presented by Chmelíček early in December, which included a plan to utilize reserves in the amount of CZK 455 million to cover a budget deficit. As on many other issues, the Managing Director also had an opinion different from the view of the Council. The proposed budget reflected a drop in revenues primarily from commercials, and the released reserves were supposed to allow enlivening the program, but the unfavorable ratio of revenues and costs of CT in the future was not solved. On December 12, the Council recalled the Managing Director.