Privatizing public TV

CEO Jiří Janeček of Czech Television was forced to explain himself to the ČT Council yesterday after being hounded by Ringier's Blesk tabloid for more than a week about his "expensive" lifestyle. He invited members of the Council to his home to show that he lives within his means. The obvious explanation for the sudden interest by the press in his BMW, three-wheeler and multiple watches is the recurrent theme of privatizing Czech TV. Petr Štěpánek of ODS hinted in Právo in June at selling off ČT1 and ČT Sport, and PM Petr Nečas parroted him later on Aktuálně.cz. Of course there are other possible explanations for Ringier's interest in Janeček's assets - simple envy, or a simple need to sell newspapers, for example. But it's worth noting that the interests of media owners, FMCG advertisers and certain politicians in selling off part of Czech TV have probably never coincided as well as they do now. [Czech Republic fast-moving consumer goods]