As an eyewitness of the Czech Broadcasting Council's public hearings in this memorable week of January 25-29, 1993, I would like to oppose Mr Horwitz's opinion that:

"CET-21 won the national license not just because their programming plan looked good on paper, but more importantly, because they were THE ONLY APPLICANT GROUP to submit a credible plan..."

As far as I remember (and as the CBC annual report submitted to Parliament in 1993 informs), there have been THREE applicants which complied with the "business plan criterion" set by outside accounting firm, and which were credible also from the TV professionalism point of view.

CLT group - comprised of Barrandov, IP Praha and CLT Bohemia TV Project - made up of Czech show business Art Production K together with regional broadcasters and with the support of Murdoch's News Int., and CET-21 - with support of Lauder money and Czech Savings Bank (which BTW promised support also to other projects, namely Bohemia TV).

I do still remember this small dirty and crowded room (former restaurant room for private parties) where Mr. Gaston Thorn, the big boss of CLT, was brought directly from airport to defend the CLT project. In vain, because that time some of CBC members had already made up their minds as to their decisions.

In contrary to Mr. Horwitz opinion I think, that the best COMMERCIAL TV project was submitted by the CLT group, but this project was TOO COMMERCIAL for the CBC taste. Therefore the CET-21 project was chosen, not to speak about the CBC subconscious fear of powerful media moguls - CLT and Murdoch. More details and evidences can be found in the CBC Annual Report 1992-3 submitted to the Czech Parliament in May/June 1993.

Milan Smid, Dpt. of Journalism, Charles University Prague