Finalists in the battle for the leadership of Czech Television want changes in management and news coverage

PRAGUE - The five finalists in the competition for the post of director general of Czech Television have presented their candidate projects on the website of the Czech Television Council. The published materials reveal that all the candidates emphasise modernisation of the management of the public institution, effective control of finances and strengthening the quality and independence of news coverage.

The documents show that among the priorities are, for example, the revision of internal processes and the establishment of transparent management. Some candidates advocate more detailed monitoring of financial flows and austerity measures to ensure the long-term stability of the budget. However, there are also proposals for investment in technological development and digitalisation to enable CT to better compete with commercial media and online platforms. Much attention is paid to content.

In their projects, the finalists comment on plans to revive some traditional formats, such as the journalistic programme 168 Hours, whose cancellation in the past sparked controversy. At the same time, there are ideas for the creation of new discussion and analysis sessions that should strengthen the public debate and offer viewers a space for orientation in current affairs.

The question remains about the future of Czech Television's foreign news posts. Some of the candidates for the director's seat are considering reducing or abolishing them for financial reasons, while others are planning to strengthen the international network of reporters so that the newsroom can cover key events from Europe and the world more quickly and directly from the ground. All projects stress the need to strengthen the digital distribution of content.

Candidates want to take advantage of the growing influence of social networks, mobile apps and the iBroadcast online archive. They say modern technology should help younger viewers in particular find their way to public service content. The Czech Television Council will decide on the winner of the tender in the coming weeks. The new director-general will take up his post at a time when CT is facing increasing competition, pressure for savings and debates about the role of public service media in a democratic society.

gnews.cz - GH