Czech television journalists are pushing for the resignation of directors and board members before ending a nearly month-long revolt over what they claim was an attempt to gain political control of state media.
A meeting was called for the journalists and workers of Czech state television to discuss the next steps after a noon deadline they had set for the resignation of the board of governors passed without action.
The calls for their departure following the resignation on Thursday of the man at the heart of the dispute, director general Jiri Hodac.
Hodac, whose December 20 appointment sparked the biggest wave of protests since 1989, was accused of having close links to the right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) of former prime minister Vaclav Klaus.
The protesters have welcomed Hodac's resignation - reportedly for health reasons - but said it was not enough to end the dispute.
Following his departure, the journalists were seeking the resignation of board members including news director Jana Bobosikova and financial director Jindrich Beznoska, both appointed by Hodac.
CT news director Bobosikova refused to go, despite a parliamentary vote demanding her departure and the complete breakdown of relations between her and the journalists.
In a statement issued overnight, the journalists set a deadline of noon for the board members to resign, warning they would end broadcasts on both public television channels if their demands weren't met.
"The strike will affect the broadcasts from the two public television channels," said the statement.
Earlier, the Czech parliament adopted a new law that would temporarily transfer control over state television to lawmakers pending new appointments to the board.
The journalists called for the running of the state TV channels to be provisionally entrusted, after talks with the unions, "to competent people" including members of the previous board who were dismissed by Hodac on December 30.
Czech parliamentary deputies voted in favour of the sacking of the remaining six members of Czech state television's board of directors before agreeing on emergency legislation to end the three-week dispute.
The CT board had already lost three members who resigned over the mounting controversy.
The bill will be discussed by the Senate on January 17th before it is submitted to President Vaclav Havel for his approval.
The bill would expand the board of governors from nine to 15 members, who would be nominated by various civic organizations rather than political parties.
Around 192,000 Czechs have signed petitions backing the rebel journalists. Tens of thousands of citizens have also taken to the streets in support of the journalists, in the biggest protests since the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
AFP