Zelezny's exit

Vladimír Železný was removed yesterday by PPF and MEF as CEO of TV Nova, in an effort to take political pressure off the station. It's been getting the blame for the money the state must pay to CME. Curious, though, that it took the owners so long to act. It's been clear for months where events were headed, yet PPF and MEF stepped in at the last minute and then failed to name a replacement for Železný. Even more curious, Petr Dvořák of PPF said that Železný's removal will have no effect on the running of the station. What about Nova's self-interested reporting, its favoritism towards a handful of loyal politicians, its refusal to invest in quality programming? Will this remain unchanged? If so, the person most suited to succeed Železný would be ... Železný. By quickly naming a take-charge CEO, the owners can squash speculation that Železný will be reappointed after the current political problems go away.