CME "IS BUYING SECOND CZECH TV STATION, AFTER ALL"

This is an English translation of an article, published by the Prague-based "Slovo" daily newspaper on 15th May, 1997:

MEMBERS OF CZECH PARLIAMENT ARE SHOCKED:

ZELEZNY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LYING:

NOVA TV TO SWALLOW UP PRIMA TV

PRAGUE - (ktp) Czech lawmakers have reacted with dismay to the information, revealed by the Slovo newspaper that Nova TV is preparing a merger with the first indigenous Czech commercial TV station, Prima TV.

Last Wednesday, Vladimir Zelezny, Nova TV's Chief Executive emphatically denied in public that Nova TV was interested in acquiring Prima. He said so in front of the Media Commission of Czech Parliament. On the same day, Milos Petana, Chief Executive of Prima TV also said that Nova TV was not interested in Prima.

However, [ the owner of Prima TV] the Postal and Investment Bank has now confirmed that "Beseda Holding" a company closely connected with Nova TV is seriously interested in purchasing the shares of Prima TV.

Some members of Czech Parliament are truly shocked by the possibility that both commercial TV stations could be controlled by a single owner. They see this as a threat to the plurality of political opinions and the interests of the viewers.

Jan Kasal (Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party), Deputy Speaker of the Czech Parliament and Head of the Parliamentary Media Commission, told Slovo that as yet he had no reason "not to believe what had been officially said in Parliament during the session of his commission". Kasal said that he himself and at least forty other people had heard Vladimir Zelezny' s assurances that neither Nova TV nor anyone around Nova was interested in Prima TV.

[ Zelezny actually said that neither Nova TV, nor CME not CET 21 nor any private individuals were interested in Prima TV. He did not say Beseda Holding was not interested in acquiring Prima TV. Jan Culik's note.]

If Nova TV were to acquire Prima TV in spite of Zelezny's statements, this would be "relatively surprising" for those present during last Wednesday's session of the media commission, said Kasal.

The preparations for the introduction of a law on cross media ownership would become even more urgent, said Kasal. He admitted that such a law could not rectify the situation retrospectively. He added that he could imagine that such a law - as is the case in other democratic countries - would force through changes, if there was "gigantic cross ownership".

Pavel Dostal, a social democratic MP and member of the media commission is also against the merging of the two stations and against cross media ownership. Dostal added that cross media ownership was not usual in Europe and if it happened in the Czech Republic, the Media Commission would assume a "very strict stance". Unfortunately, Dostal added, the Czech Republic lacks appropriate laws which would enable MPs appropriately to act.

Michael Prokop, (Civic Democratic Alliance), head of the Parliamentary Committeefor the Arts said that the draft press law, prepared by the Czech Ministry of Culture before the last election, contained certain provisions against cross ownership. "At this moment, however, I do not know how we might fight cross ownership. Maybe it is a task for the Anti-Monopoly Office, since such a concentration of television power might jeopardise plurality in the media."

Dalibor Matulka (the Communist Party) confirmed he had personally received information about the merger between Nova TV and Prima TV "which is really being prepared", even though Zelezny has denied this. "Of course, I do not believe a word of what Zelezny has said. I am shocked and disgusted by the notion that the two commercial stations could be merged under a single owner," said Matulka.

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Jan Culik

Glasgow University

15th May, 1997