Who Wants To Be The Boss?

Michael Hedges June 22, 2011 Follow on Twitter

Recent years have been challenging for public broadcasters. Once the picture of stability within the media landscape, public radio and television organizations are in a state of constant turmoil. And managing them just isn’t as much fun any more.

Citing health issues, Czech public television (Ceske Televize – CT) General Director Jiri Janecek abruptly resigned (June 8), a job he had held since 2003. The Czech Television Council reelected him to a second six-year term in 2009. He has been the longest serving General Director of Czech public television.

Compared with some public broadcasters – and certainly defying the current trend – Czech public broadcasting has remained reasonably stable, craziness a decade ago notwithstanding. Mr. Janecek apparently lost favor within the politically appointed Television Council for “poor communications.” Even though CT reported a positive financial position for 2010, Mr. Janecek’s bonus was cancelled. 

Czech media wags – and there are many – see change at the head of Czech public TV as an opportunity. The new director should be “courageous,” wrote strategie.cz editor Jan Müller (June 21).  “We want the new director to open the door wide for the most talented people and give them money for series and current affairs programs that will compete with quality, be it comic, artistic or journalistic.”

Whenever a change is imminent at the top of a big public broadcasting organization friend and foe alike bandy about possible successors, often hoping for a change in style. As Mr. Janecek’s stock with the Television Council was falling Petr Dvorak, long-serving head of commercial broadcaster TV Nova, fell out of favor with his boss, Central European Media Enterprises (CME) CEO Adrian Sarbu. Dvorak resigned as Executive Director of CET 21, CME’s Czech and Slovak subsidiary, to “accept new opportunities” last November. Prague was simply not big enough for both of them.

Popular among the troops at TV Nova and the commercial television industry generally, Mr. Dvorak ran TV Nova at its ratings apogee and, with a certain logic, became an oft noted potential successor to Mr. Janecek. Coincidentially or not, Mr. Janecek will leave CT at the end of August and Mr. Dvorak’s non-compete agreement with CME expires at the end of June. Mr. Dvorak officially threw his hat in the ring last week (June 17).

“The restructuring carried at the beginning of this year does not fulfill the objective for which it was designed, causing some confusion,” he said to Médiar.cz (June 17), sounding like a serious candidate. Other candidates have been suggested, mostly politicians, all outsiders.

If there is a model for public broadcasting CEO’s politicians and the politically well-connected typically have the edge. It’s a language and culture issue; politicians charged with overseeing public broadcasting organizations prefer talking with other politicians, sharing a perspective, certainly around election time. Public broadcasting insiders, once expected to rise to the top, are often sidelined by long presentations about public service.

Commercial broadcasting managers are rarely chosen to lead public broadcasting organizations. Their language is spiced with “market share” and “advertising” and “growth”, not generally popular in public broadcasting circles or with politicians concerned with their own “market share.”

In the UK, Michael Grade transitioned from the BBC, to commercial Channel 4, back to the BBC then to commercial channel ITV. Within most public broadcasters an executive’s career path is more often up, up and out as with BBC Deputy Director Mark Byford. In the other direction, however, RTL CEO Gerhard Zeiler arrived from Austrian public broadcaster ORF. That's worked out quite well.

Regardless of who is finally tipped to lead Czech public television, the issues plaguing public broadcasters will set the agenda: funding, mission and status. CT’s funding is primarily through the household license fee. Advertising contributes about one-sixth (17%) of the revenue stream.

Czech commercial broadcasters, including TV Nova, have long lobbied to reduce or eliminate advertising from Czech public TV. Their wish partly came to pass when Czech Members of Parliament proposed (June 16) to drop advertising from main general interest channel CT1, 24/7 news channel CT24 and associated websites in November. Ads would remain on movie channel CT2 and sports channel CT4.

“If this passes…it’s throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” said Mr. Dvorak, turning a phrase that might confuse politicians.

See also in ftm Knowledge

Public Broadcasting - Arguments, Battles and Changes

Public broadcasters have - mostly - thrown off the musty stain of State broadcasting. And audiences for public channels are growing. But arguments and battles with politicians, publishers and commercial broadcasters threatens more changes. The ftm Knowledge file examines all sides. 64 pages PDF (January 2010)

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