Huge rally as Czech TV boss quits

Around 50,000 people attended Thursday's rally

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Prague to support Czech TV journalists demanding more resignations after their controversial new director stood down.

The journalists have vowed to carry on their battle against bosses following Jiri Hodac's resignation on health grounds.

The rally in Prague's main Wenceslas square on Thursday evening, attended by around 50,000 people, came only hours after Hodac, who had come under fire from the media and politicians, quit on health grounds.

The reporters, who had called for Hodac's resignation, are still calling for the Czech TV Council to step down as well as for the government to pass a law to prevent what they call further political appointees.

The lower chamber of parliament is expected to discuss the future of the council, which had appointed Hodac and refused to take direct action against him, on Friday.

Reporters argued that Hodac's appointment showed political bias and would interfere with editorial independence, an accusation that both Hodac and the council deny.

Hodac said in a statement, read out by one of his deputies on Thursday afternoon, Vera Valterova: "On the basis of conversations today with my doctor...I unfortunately had to accept the conclusion that at this moment I cannot perform the job in the position to which I was legally elected."

Hodac was in hospital for several days last week, said to have been suffering from exhaustion.

At the rally on Thursday, the station's staff said the fight will go on until two other demands are met.

"It's not about Mr Hodac, and never has been," said the main protest organiser Vaclav Marhoul. "It's about principles."

Journalists had argued that Hodac is too closely associated with the two parties, mainly the ODS of ex-premier Vaclav Klaus.

Filip Cerny, a spokesman for the striking journalists, said they would remain on strike since the managers appointed during Hodac's reign were still in place.

He added that the Czech TV council, which appointed the former British Broadcasting Corporation journalist, must be sacked before they would end their action.

Staff are also calling for laws to be introduced for Czech TV which would prevent politically motivated appointments.

Another rally is planned for January 20.

The government said in a statement that Hodac's resignation should "calm the situation" at Czech Television, but did not say whether it expects the lower house to go ahead with a special session on Friday and sack the council.

Hodac: Journalists says his appointment was politically-motivated

Two board members, Vaclav Erben and Petr Hajek, both nominated by the CSSD, stepped down on Thursday because the council failed to sack Hodac at a meeting earlier this week despite being instructed to do so by the lower house.

Both houses of parliament had called on the director to quit, and the protest also received support from President Vaclav Havel.

Valterova said the council stood firm, adding that nobody else in management was ready to step down.

The demonstration on Thursday evening was the second called for by protesting journalists -- the first attracted an estimated 100,000 people last week -- the largest public protest since demonstrations which overthrew communism in 1989.

TV staff have occupied the Czech Television headquarters in Prague, triggering TV blackouts.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Czech Republic
Czech TV

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