Czech talk show host uses YouTube to explain TV Prima's contract with him to TV Prima and the public

Czech talk show host Jan Kraus has published a brief video on YouTube explaining that the contract he has with TV Prima clearly does not allow him to broadcast an episode of his show online before it has been broadcast by the TV Prima station. He has taken the unusual step after the TV Prima management issued contradictory statements regarding why it did not broadcast the most recent episode of the program yesterday.

The guests of that episode include the Czech Culture Minister and his uncle, a Holocaust survivor who says he was informed by telephone by the Office of the Czech President that he would be given a state award tomorrow during the commemoration of Czechoslovak Independence Day. The Czech Culture Minister says that when Czech President Zeman learned the minister was planning to meet with the Dalai Lama, he warned him not to and said that if he did, his uncle would not be honored.

The Czech Culture Minister did meet with the Dalai Lama, and his uncle’s name subsequently did not appear on the list of those to receive state honors tomorrow. The episode of the Jan Kraus talk show featuring the two related men as guests included a “happening” in the beginning where other guests express their disapproval of Zeman’s behavior, as have many other leading figures.

That episode was not aired yesterday, with the TV Prima station alleging the show had not been delivered in time to broadcast. In a press release issued today, the station now says it believes the content of the opening “happening” segment might violate rules on broadcast objectivity,  and then alleged that the show’s producers could have broadcast it anyway online in full.

The talk show host has now chosen to refute that claim by explaining to TV Prima, online and publicly, the terms of their contract with him. The video is here (in the Czech language only).