TV NOVA CHIEF VLADIMIR ZELEZNY CRITICISES PRESIDENT HAVEL

The following article was published in the Prague-based Slovo dailynewspaper on Monday, 23th June, 1997:

ACCORDING TO ZELEZNY, HAVEL HAS UNDERMINED HIS [PRESIDENTIAL] ROLE

PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Havel has somewhat undermined the onlyrole that he plays when approving new Acts of Parliament, VladimirZelezny, Chief Executive of Nova TV, said on Saturday. Zelezny commented onHavel's recent remark about Nova TV.

Before signing a new version of the Czech Broadcasting Act [which has increased the licence fee for listening to public service radio andwatching public service television], President Havel said that he would notlike to live to see the time when Nova TV was left in the Czech Republic asthe only broadcaster informing the public about what was going on in theworld.

The Czech President has the right to approve or to reject new laws. Thisis a constitutional quarantee designed to make sure that imperfect laws arenot adopted.

"We have a democratically elected president. The president's duty is tomake sure that the laws that he signs contain no imperfections. Thepresident has admitted that the [Broadcasting Act] contains an error. Yethe has signed this Broadcasting Act, in order to punish Nova TV, to makesure that Nova TV is not so successful," said Zelezny.

On 18th June, 1997, President Havel signed the Act on Radio and TelevisionLicence Fees, the Broadcasting Act, the Act on the Council for Radio and TVBroadcasting and the Czech [public service] Radio Act. Prior to signingthe documents, Havel said he was going to approve these laws in spite ofthe fact that from the legal point of view they contain some "controversialaspects".

Josef Wagner, the Chairman of the Czech Parliamentary Budget Committee and Jan Kasal, the Parliamentary Deputy Speaker and Head of the CzechParliamentary Media Commission, agreed in a discussion programme broadcaston Nova TV that the President's statement about Nova TV was a "hyperbole".

According to Kasal, it was not the President's intention to use the newBroadcasting Act against any television station, currently operating in theCzech Republic. "It is the aim [of the new Act] to stabilise the situationin Czech public service television without harming private televisionstations," said Kasal.

Vladimir Zelezny, Chief Executive of Nova TV, has waged a vociferouscampaign against proposals to increase the Czech public service televisionlicence fee in line with inflation.

Czech Public Service TV is the main competitor of Nova TV. Nova TV is ownedby the Bermuda-based Central European Media Enterprises. It is CME's onlyprofitable station to date. Nova TV pays CME considerable dividends.

In 1991, Czech parliament set the monthly Czech public service TV licencefee at 50 Czech crowns (approximately $1,60) per household. Between 1991 and 1996, Czech inflation has reached some 100 per cent. Czech parliamenthas however refused to pass a law, allowing for an automatic annual increase of the public service TV licence fee in line with inflation, thusconsiderably decreasing the budget of the Czech public service television.

The new Broadcasting Act which President Havel has just signed, increasesthe monthly public service TV licence fee to 75 crowns.

Czech public service television operates two nationwide channels. CT 1 is apopular channel, CT 2 is a high brow, arts channel.

(Jan CulikGlasgow University)