PRAGUE, Oct 7 — Public broadcaster Czech TV said yesterday it would skip next year’s Eurovision Song Contest over spending cuts forced by a planned switch to financing from the state budget.
The nationalist government of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants to switch from licence fees paid by viewers to direct government financing, to make Czech TV and public counterpart Czech Radio broadcaster save money.
Critics, including the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press watchdog, say the move jeopardises the independence of public media, and Czech TV and Czech Radio staged a token strike over the plan in June.
“We won’t see the Czech flag on the stage next year,” Czech TV said on X, adding that it was hoping to return to the bling bonanza at some point.
