The extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Czech Television brought, among other things, dramatic moments. Despite the disapproval of CEO Jan Souček, Nora Fridrichová, the main face of the canceled program 168 hours, finally appeared. She objected to management’s claims that the main reason for canceling the show was her behavior in public. “I’m really sorry for the way you’re coming at me,” she stated.
Controversies regarding the cancellation of the program 168 Hours, which was one of the most prominent projects of Czech Television, have been going on since the general director Jan Souček announced its cancellation at the end of July. On Monday afternoon, for the first time since then, the presenter of the show, Nora Fridrichová, publicly stood up to Souček and told him directly what she thought about his accusations. This happened at an extraordinary meeting of the ČT Council, which was called by some councilors who were dissatisfied with Součky’s behavior.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Director, the way you attack me publicly like this. In the first report, we praised me, then you stopped and started slandering our work. You made foul and untrue arguments,” Fridrichová complained to the CT Council. Souček, who is currently on vacation, did not sit in the hall in person, but was connected remotely via video call, so it was possible to see his reactions. He listened to his subordinate the whole time with a completely stony face.
However, he could no longer react to her words or object to them, which, paradoxically, he caused himself. Fridrichová did not speak until the very end of the session. Critics of the general director advocated that she be allowed to speak during the meeting, when it would be possible to respond to and debate her comments and criticisms. However, Souček and some councilors objected to this, saying that ordinary employees should not speak at CT Council meetings, but only the director and senior management. And this despite the fact that the entire discussion revolved almost exclusively around Fridrichová and her program.
“At the meeting of the ČT Council, I am calling the managers at the first level of management to present reports on the activities of their divisions. The General Director is the Council’s partner for the exercise of its competences. I have a lot of doubts about the format of this meeting after we decide to give the floor to Nora Fridrichová,” he defended her hearing of Souček. He also blamed the disgruntled councilors for calling the meeting at all – according to him, they had no right to do so. He argued that it is not up to councilors to judge the cancellation of programs. However, they opposed him and defended their right, saying that the sudden cancellation of a popular show raises questions about the independence of television.
Despite the initial criticism, Souček eventually attended the entire meeting and explained in detail why the show was cancelled. He repeated the reasons he wrote to the councilors in letterswhere, among other things, he claimed that the program’s authors had violated the principles of professional journalistic work several times and he also read Fridrichová’s public communication, which he said damaged ČT. This information was later described by Fridrichová as false.
The lascivious communication was the last straw
Souček repeated several times that the main impetus for the cancellation of 168 hours was that Fridrichová published a “lasciful masturbatory” private correspondence with former CT reporter Mark Wollner, which had sexual undertones. According to him, it was the last straw. At the same time, he denied that he himself would have decided to cancel the show, according to him, it was mainly the decision of her superiors.
Fridrichová objected in her final speech that she only responded to Wollner’s outbursts in the correspondence. Wollner’s wife Kateřina was the first to publish part of the text messages between the moderators. In it, the presenter writes to Wollner to stop masturbating because she is sending him a script. It thus acts as an initiator of the sexual tone of the conversation.
However, from the publication of the entire conversation by Fridrich, it became clear that Wollner was the first to introduce the erotic subtext to the news. “I became the target of an attack and the only thing I could do was defend myself,” Fridrich said, adding that she was not at all comfortable with the whole matter being discussed publicly.
She similarly explained her behavior in the last few days, when she criticized Souček and his subordinates for canceling 168 hours and for excessive criticism of the show. “I did the absolutely right thing. I have to fight for our work, which was not as bad as it is portrayed. I am defending the principle of truth,” claimed the journalist, who is deciding whether to stay at CT. The management offered her work on social issues and not on politics, which is closest to her. At the same time, Fridrich indicated that, in her opinion, political pressures were behind the cancellation of the program rather than her inappropriate behavior in public.
The meeting of the CT Council did not change the fact that the program was canceled and will not continue in any form. The councilors who did not agree with the end of the program were also concerned about whether journalists critical of politicians would disappear from the screens of CT with this program. They asked Souček about it several times and he assured them that the television was preparing similar journalistic programs. But he wasn’t very specific and it wasn’t even clear what shows it would actually be. Councilors finally voted to submit material by September 10 on the production and scope of news programs on public television, with a description of the type of news genre and their share in the volume of broadcasts.
Due to the cancellation of the program, a Million Moments for Democracy demonstration took place before the CT Council meeting. Its participants expressed concern that CT would not start being obedient to politicians. They brought a symbolic large paper magnifying glass in front of the ČT building to show that they will closely monitor the actions of the ČT management and the programs themselves.
VIDEO: He demonstrated for a million moments in front of Czech Television. He brought a big magnifying glass to the leadership
Aktuálně.cz presents examples from the Million Moments demonstration and the subsequent meeting of the CT Council. President Mariana Novotná Nachtigallová spoke for the association. | Video: Radek Bartoníček