AUDIOVISUAL POLICY: CZECH PARLIAMENT VOTES TO REMOVE AUDIOVISUAL COUNCIL FROM OFFICE.

• Position: Brief Article

The Czech Parliament decided on April 2 to dismiss the Audiovisual Council, which is accuses of a number of irregularities and dubious decisions. Demanded by Social Democrat Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla's ruling coalition, the removal of the Council from office was approved following an animated six-hour debate by a majority of 90 of the 179 MPs present in the 200-member chamber. In accordance with this parliamentary decision, the Council's members will be officially dismissed from their posts by the Prime Minister, Mr Spidla indicating that the decision would be enforced quickly.

The ruling centre-right coalition in Prague notably criticised the Audiovisual Council for its role in the case of the private television channel Nova, the launch of which was bankrolled in 1993 by the CME group (Central European Media Enterprises), controlled by American...