Censorship, or messageless?

The main message KDU-ČSL Chair Cyril Svoboda had for the Council on Czech Competitiveness yesterday was that he's being shut out of the media. Since he returned as KDU chair a year ago, he said, he has only been on Czech TV's OVM debate twice, although his people call every week to stress his availability. He's been on TV Prima twice, he said, and he's had three full- size newspaper interviews. For Svoboda to say that Czech TV's CEO, Jiří Janeček, doesn't care much about KDU because it has only one spot on the ČT Council is a double accusation - that Janeček acts politically and that he directly intervenes in the selection of debate-show guests. Censorship inspired by ODS, ČSSD and TOP 09 is a possibility, but Svoboda should look inward before casting stones. He might be more likeable than Mirek Topolánek, Jiří Paroubek or Miroslav Kalousek, but he also has a lot less to say than any of them. [Czech Republic Christian Democrats Otázky Václava Moravce Television]