Law passed to end Czech TV stand-off

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The lower house of the Czech parliament has adopted new legislation aimed at ending a rebellion over alleged political interference in the state TV service.

The law, approved by a 120-50 margin, calls for the appointment of an interim station director who could appease the staff.

Workers launched a strike against new director-general Jiri Hodac before Christmas, arguing he would interfere with their editorial independence.

It sparked the biggest public protests in the country since the fall of communist rule in 1989 and Hodac resigned, citing health reasons.

But employees have continued their campaign, demanding that managers he appointed should also go.

The ruling Social Democrats, who withdrew support for the station's management in the face of the outcry, said they would like to see the interim boss installed within two weeks.

"The selection process should be done in a way that will raise no doubts. I think it should take a few days (into February)," said Social Democrat faction leader Zdenek Skromach.

Culture Minister Pavel Dostal said he expected the interim chief to take office on February 2 at the earliest.

Tuesday's parliamentary vote overrode a veto earlier this month by the upper house, the Senate, which contended that the legislation lacked guarantees that the station would remain independent.

The law must be signed by President Vaclav Havel, who has sided with the strikers.

Earlier this month tens of thousands of Czechs took to the streets to support the journalists' case and protest against the way the country's two largest parties have carved up power.

The new law calls for an interim director to be named while a new supervisory council is formed based on recommendations from civic groups, and not politicians as before.

The staff have said Hodac was chosen by the Social Democrats and their parliamentary allies, the Civic Democrats, to slant news coverage in their favour.

Hodac denied any bias.

The strikers have ignored orders from the managers, who regularly blacked out the rebels' news before giving in to mounting pressure to let them broadcast.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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