The Czech Television Council — English Pages — Česká televize

Under Act 483/1991 Coll. on Czech Television, as amended, The Czech Television Council is a body through which the public exercises its right to control the activities of Czech Television.

The Council is authorized to:

• appoint and repeal the Director General and, based on Director General’s proposal, the directors of Brno and Ostrava Television Studios
• approve Czech Television’s budget and final financial statement and control how the budget is fulfilled
• approve Czech Television’s Statute proposed by the Director General
• submit the Czech Television Code to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament for approval
• approve proposals by the Director General to establish or shut down television studios (Article 9, Subsection 8)
• decide on complaints brought against the Director General
• control how Czech Television’s public remit and provisions of the Code are fulfilled (Articles 2 and 3)
• approve long-term plans for programme, technological and economic development
• appoint its Supervisory Commission (Article 8a)
• decide on Director General’s salary
• grant permission to Director General to lease or burden Czech Television’s immovable property for a period exceeding three months
• control Czech Television’s activities in the field of copyright and neighbouring rights in connection with its being legal successor of Czechoslovak Television
• The Council submits its annual report on activities and economic performance of Czech Television to the Chamber of Deputies (to which it is accountable). The Council has its own budget. Costs connected with the Council’s activities, including the fees paid to its members are paid from a special chapter of Czech Television’s budget

Who are the members of The Czech Television Council?

The Czech Television Council consists of 15 members elected and repealed by the Chamber of Deputies. The members are chosen in a way to represent major regional, political, social and cultural opinions and ideas. The Council members are elected for a period of six years with two thirds of the members elected each two years; the members may be re-elected. The holders of the following functions may not be members of the Council: President of the Republic, MP, Senator, member of Government, judge, state attorney, member of the Supreme Audit Office, member of the bank Council of the Czech National Bank, any public administration employee, member of the Council of the Czech Republic for Radio and Television Broadcasting, member of the Czech Radio Council, member of the Czech Press Agency Council, Director General of Czech Radio, member of the Supervisory Commission of Czech Television or Czech Radio. No member of the Council is allowed to perform any function in political parties or movements, social organizations or associations, civic initiatives etc. or to act on behalf of such organizations. Moreover, no member of the Council is allowed to be a member of companies involved in mass media or to represent business interests that could be in conflict with his or her activity on the Council or which could influence his or her impartiality and objectivity. With the exception of the remuneration received in connection with the exercise of their functions, no member of the Council or his or her relative is allowed to generate any income from operation of television broadcasting. No member of the Council or his or her relative is allowed to be employee of Czech Television during his/her function and two years after ceasing to be a member. Council membership is a public function.

How does The Council work?

The Czech Television Council meets in public sessions ruled by the Rules of Procedures that the Council approves within 30 days of its establishment.

How to approach The Czech Television Council?

The Czech Television Council discusses suggestions and observations it receives. Suggestions and observations that do not fall within the Council’s competence are handed over to the relevant organs within Czech Television or to the Council of the Czech Republic for Radio and Television Broadcasting. Under the law, the Czech Television Council is obligated to consider complaints brought against the Director General of Czech Television.

Under the Act on Czech Television, Czech Television provides service to the public of the Czech Republic through creation and distribution of television programmes. The mission of Czech Television is to provide unbiased, verified, balanced and many-sided information so that the viewers may make their own opinions and make and distribute a balanced choice of programmes for all groups of population taking into account their religion, creed, culture, ethnic origin, nationality social background age or gender with the aim to enhance mutual understanding, tolerance, plurality and cultural identity of people, including ethnic minorities. Czech Television fulfils this mission particularly through its broadcasting on two nationwide channels, through a network of own correspondents and through creating archive funds as part of national cultural wealth.

Members of Czech public who are of the opinion that Czech Television is in breach of its legal duties because of activity and/or inactivity of its Director General who is responsible for proper working of the organization, may, under Article 8, Subsection 1 Letter f of the Czech Television Act, lodge a complaint with the Council.