Final Word from Thursday, October 8, 2015
The law on Czech Radio seemingly forbids a family member of the CEO of the public station from being employed there, but it makes no provision for firing such a family member who already works for the station before the CEO assumes the top job. How can the ČRo Council claim that outgoing CEO Peter Duhan violated the law? It can just as easily be argued that the Council itself violated the law by appointing Duhan to the top position, given that Duhan's son was already employed there. This pseudo-scandal was clearly concocted in order to remove Duhan for other sins. It's not clear whether they relate to a dubious real-estate deal or instead to the station's successful effort to avoid oligarchization by offering a plurality of views on many subjects. Let's hope that this is not merely an excuse to allow Petr Kellner and Radek Pokorný to take over Czech Radio in the same way that they have already commandeered Czech Television. [Czech Republic TV ČT conflict of interest]
Glossary of difficult words
conflict-of-interest disclosure - Publisher Erik Best of the Fleet Sheet is under contract to appear monthly on the "Jak to vidí" program on Czech Radio 2;
seemingly - apparently; to all appearances;
to make provision for - to stipulate; to provide for;
to concoct - to create or devise (said esp. of a story or plan);
dubious - morally suspect; doubtful;
plurality - wide variety; diversity;
to commandeer - to take possession (of something) without authority.