Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

CZECH MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS AND PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA HAVE PREPARED A SELF-REGULATION DECALOGUE

On the occasion of the entry into force of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), Czech media associations and public service media presented a self-regulation decalogue reflecting the requirements of this European regulation. In the coming months, they will focus on adopting a memorandum to address the implementation processes of this decalogue.

As of 8 August, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) comes into effect. This regulation introduces a range of tools to protect the freedom, plurality, and editorial independence of media across the European Union. For more than a year, entities operating in the Czech media market have been engaged with the question of how to meet the requirements of this Act relating to self-regulation.

The undersigned professional organisations hereby announce that they have agreed on the form of the so-called Decalogue for joint self-regulation of the sector. The form of the prepared self-regulation and the Decalogue is based on principles supporting media freedom while maintaining a high level of transparency and accountability to the public. By this step, the signatories confirm their commitment to adhere to the principles formulated in the Decalogue.

The defence of freedom of expression and a free media environment is an integral part of the self-regulation system. The undersigned organisations jointly declare that, thanks to this consensus, they are prepared to fulfil the role assigned to them under the EMFA. The participating entities will act as partners to both very large online platforms (VLOPs) and the state and other public institutions, in all areas where the EMFA envisions a role for self-regulation.

Additional information will be available on the signatories’ websites throughout September.

Association of Commercial Television (Asociace komerčních televizí, AKTV), contact: Marie Fianová
Association of Online Publishers (Asociace online vydavatelů, AOV), contact: Lucie Sýkorová
Association of Private Broadcasting Operators (Asociace provozovatelů soukromého vysílání, APSV), contact: Jan Neumann
Czech National Committee of International Press Institute (Český národní výbor Mezinárodního tiskového institute, CZ IPI), contact: Robert Čásenský
Czech Radio (Český rozhlas, ČRo), contact: Lidija Erlebachová
Czech Television (Česká televize, ČT), contact: press office
Czech News Agency (Česká tisková kancelář, ČTK), contact: Petr Orálek
Czech Publishers’ Association (Česká unie vydavatelů, ČUV), contact: Tomáš Tkačík
Association of Internet Development (Sdružení pro internetový rozvoj v ČR, SPIR), contact: Filip Dotlačil
Czech Syndicate of Journalists (Syndikát novinářů ČR, SN ČR), contact: Ivana Šuláková

PRIMA AIMS TO ATTRACT COMPETITORS’ VIEWERS WITH ITS AUTUMN PROGRAMMING

With this autumn’s programming lineup, Prima aims to move toward more aspirational content. “We want to surprise viewers to some extent while still delivering what they expect from us,” says Prima CEO Marek Singer.

The Prima media group is entering the autumn season with new series Polabí and Mladá krev, the return of Zdeněk Pohlreich, the second season of the psychological reality show Zrádci, and the development of its digital platform prima+. In addition to classic television broadcasting, it is focusing on building a regular offering for streaming audiences, testing thematic FAST channels, and preparing technological support for targeted advertising in cooperation with operators.

In an interview with Prima Group CEO Marek Singer, we talked about programming strategy, expectations for the main autumn releases, developments in the advertising market, and how Prima sees its role in the hybrid television and digital world.

The series Polabí, which Dramedy Productions is preparing for Prima, can be described as the key new release this autumn on Prima. The description indicates that the style of the new release is different from the existing Tuesday and Thursday romantic series, such as Slunečná, ZOO, and Kamarádi. Was that your intention?

We wanted a change. With its romantic relationship series genre, Slunečná was perfectly timed for the COVID period, and thanks to that, it appealed to a large audience. Logically, we then built other series in a similar vein to build on its popularity. But I think it’s time to give viewers a break from modern romantic fairy tales. So, we started thinking about a different genre. Filip Bobiňski came up with the idea for the series Polabí, which we liked. It’s another longer format, an 80-episode series, but this time with a crime storyline, authentically set in everyday life. I would describe it as less fairy-tale-like and more based on life in a small Czech town. Polabí has a distinctive atmosphere, a fresh cast, and a narrative style that is different from our previous series.

Based on the trailers and initial episodes released, Polabí differs from Prima’s previous long-running series in its production approach. We should also mention that Polabí will replace the series Kamarádi, which is moving to Wednesday evenings from the autumn, a slot that has previously been reserved for detective shows on Prima. What were your thoughts and considerations about this change?

The style of Polabí is different. I would say it is significantly more civil and realistic. That’s neither good nor bad. I don’t mean to say that romantic fairy tales no longer have a place. They have their audience. Kamarádi is such a modern fairy tale. With exaggeration, I would compare the series to Beverly Hills 90210. Thanks to the combination of a romantic series and a more realistic one, such as Kamarádi and Polabí, we achieve a good balance in our programming portfolio.

What do you expect in terms of viewership? Do you think Polabí could surpass Prima’s previous results in the Tuesday and Thursday slots?

I firmly believe so. It’s new, and that brings both opportunities and threats. It’s really hard to predict. The threat is that viewers won’t like the new type of storytelling, which they are not used to. The opportunity is that we will be able to reach a new audience.

I think viewers who like series and the Dramedy Productions style (Editor’s note: Vyprávěj, Kukačky, Zlatá labuť, etc.) will like Polabí. We are also targeting the trailers differently – more suspense, a little mystery… We want to attract new viewers for Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Ideally, we should retain our existing viewers and add new ones to achieve higher ratings.

So, is the goal to appeal to viewers of the public channel, which in recent seasons has been showing foreign series on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

As I said, we want new viewers. I believe that the new series Polabí will also appeal to ČT viewers and that every viewer will find something to their liking thanks to the narrative structure.

Apart from the fact that Polabí is new, and so we can only estimate the ratings it will achieve, another unknown factor is the possible impact of your main commercial competitor, Nova, which is also launching a new series, Bratři a sestry, at the same time.

Of course, it’s also a new series, and there are more unknown aspects. I expect a battle between the series. Quality is important, but the results always depend on various factors.

And your guess? Could it end in a draw?

I have no idea, I haven’t seen the competing series. The theme is also interesting. Whether the result will be a divided audience remains to be seen. It has happened before. Previous series have also divided audiences according to target groups (Editor’s note: the series Kamarádi won in the 18–69 age group, Jedna rodina in the 15–54 age group).

The threat is that viewers won’t like the new type of storytelling, which they are not used to. The opportunity is that we will be able to reach a new audience.

Marek Singer

Prima’s autumn schedule will also feature a new crime series called Mladá krev. Can you give us a brief introduction? What kind of crime series will it be?

Mladá krev (Young Blood) is a more serious crime series than what Prima viewers have been used to in the past. The script was written by Alice Nellis and she did a really excellent job. It’s not an entertaining detective story like Polda. The basic plot revolves around two generations of criminal investigators who have to work together in one place. They don’t get along very well, which leads to various situations and relationships. So it’s mainly about the clash of experiences, approaches, and mentalities.

Is the series based on a foreign source, or is it an original idea?

It’s an original script. Each episode focuses on a single case, while an overarching storyline connects the entire series.

Are you considering a second season?

If Mladá krev proves successful, there may well be more seasons. It’s a classic genre, but with an original twist in the form of a clash between two generations. The series also has an excellent cast, and I believe both generations of actors can appeal to the audience.

After many years, Zdeněk Pohlreich is also returning with his show Ano, šéfe! (Yes, Chef!). Do you think it has a chance of building on the success of the early seasons, which were a phenomenon in their day?

They say you can’t step into the same river twice, and Zdeněk himself feels the same way. He also knows that Yes, Chef! can’t be done the same way it was before. When he started, gastronomy was in a completely different state, and there were many pubs with shortcomings. Today, operators are more experienced. But at the same time, they often face more difficult conditions after COVID-19, because the entire industry has been under pressure since then. Zdeněk sees the new series as a mission to raise the profile of quality gastronomy and show that it has its place in society. He is at his best – funny, tough when he needs to be, but of course older and calmer. For his fans, who love him, it will be a welcome return.

We have already mentioned that you have long held a detective line on Wednesdays, but now that is changing a bit with Kamarádi. Friday traditionally belongs to the show Máme rádi Česko, Saturday to the new detective series Mladá krev, and Sunday to the second season of the psychological reality show Zrádci (The Traitors). The latter is generating a lot of excitement. How do you feel about that?

It will be really interesting because the phenomenon of the first series of The Traitors grew gradually with each episode. It will depend greatly on how successfully viewers are presented with the fact that this is a different story. Just as good, maybe even better, but mainly different. The second series features different characters, so they can’t play the same game as the players in the first series. They simply play differently. Thanks to the skilled direction of Markus Krug, I believe the second season could be even more successful than the first.

The first season clearly made an impact beyond television, which is reflected in the immediate rollout of derivative formats for the second season, including an aftershow, cinema screenings with discussions starting from the first episode, and a podcast.

Definitely. The Traitors is one of the first formats that works for us outside of traditional television broadcasting, and we are producing it for our VOD offering (Editor’s note: prima+). We want to create these kinds of “waves,” but we still have to learn how. We learned in the first season, and now we’ll see how far we can go with the second.

The phenomenon of the first series of The Traitors gradually developed with each episode. It will depend greatly on how successfully viewers are presented with the fact that this is a different story.

Marek Singer

Let’s stay with Monday prime time. Last year, you said that it was a difficult evening due to strong competition from detective shows on both main rival channels (Specialisté on Nova and Oktopus 2 on ČT1 starting in September). Have you found a long-term solution?

We are currently dealing with Mondays through tactical interventions, specifically films. In general, we invest where we see a reasonable return, even in the face of tough competition. So far, we haven’t found a format that can break Monday evenings. We don’t want to try something just for the sake of it, because that’s very expensive. That’s why we’re playing it safe, focusing on slots that work for us and investing there.

If you had to sum up Prima’s entire autumn programme in one sentence, how would you define it?

I would say it’s a shift towards slightly more demanding content. We can see that the whole market is moving towards more aspirational content, and we are trying to follow that trend. We want to pleasantly surprise viewers while offering them what they expect from us.

On the prima+ video platform, you have already tried out a number of formats over the past year, including previews and your own content produced exclusively for online viewing. How does VOD work alongside linear broadcasting? Do the two worlds of linear and non-linear broadcasting make sense together?

They do make sense, but a lot depends on the specific title and how successful you are at getting “content trains” started for individual target groups. If you want to keep viewers on an online service, it’s not enough to offer them one title a year. We’ve seen that three, maybe four programme genres work very well in streaming. The key is to build content continuity so that viewers not only come to the online service and register but also pay and stay. That’s something we’re building now. We already have a pretty good foundation in the docu-crime genre. For big reality shows, we’re relying on The Traitors, to which we’ll be adding a new show next spring. We will start with drama in the autumn and expect to complete it within a year. That’s a task for Jan Maxa. If we succeed, there is a chance to monetise the content, either through subscriptions or advertising.

If you sell one GRP on television now, how many prima+ subscribers will compensate you financially?

That can be calculated. We know how much a GRP costs, we know how much a subscription costs, we deduct VAT, operating costs… The cost structure is similar in both cases. In-house production is more expensive than acquisition, but when we look at the entire portfolio, streaming currently brings lower margins than traditional television—not just for us, but for everyone. But that’s how things are developing. The world is changing, and we have to adapt. There will be more models online as well, and we will try to use various methods to get the most out of every viewer, not only through subscriptions but also through advertising. Within two years, we will see new opportunities in advertising thanks to new technologies.

How many subscribers does prima+ currently have?

We currently have 1.4 million registered users, 21% of whom are paying subscribers. That’s just under 300,000 users.

For now, streaming brings lower margins than traditional television—not just for us, but for everyone. But that’s how things are developing. The world is changing, and we have to adapt.

Marek Singer

In the past, you said that Prima wanted to appeal to linear and non-linear viewers, as well as those who watch HbbTV. How do you see the potential of FAST channels?

FAST channels are interesting, but so far, they are more of a supplement. They work well when there is a large library available that can be sorted by theme and monetised through advertising. However, it has to be as automated as possible because profitability is not high. I estimate that FAST channels will start to appear more with IPTV operators. It will no longer be as static an environment as has been so far. Channel lineups will become more tailored to what users want on a particular service.

Is Prima planning its own FAST channel?

In the autumn, we will try something like a “seasonal FAST channel” in cooperation with Vodafone. It will be a channel built around The Traitors, but it will not be only about them. If everything goes well, it will be the first step in this direction. It is a seasonal channel for this autumn.

The IPTV market has been influenced by the merger of O2 TV and Voyo into the Oneplay platform this year. Do you see this as a fundamental change?

It is significant in the sense that the competition has consolidated the subscriber base of Voyo and O2 TV. They know how much overlap they have. Since a lot of people who didn’t have O2 had Voyo, it’s interesting for them. It’s hard to say how much it will affect other operators. It will definitely have some effect. We’ll see what impact it will have on terrestrial TV, because it would be logical for Voyo and O2 TV subscribers to watch TV via O2. So far, however, it seems that viewers were watching channels via an antenna and had Voyo in addition to that. We will definitely change the way we work with other operators. We will seek further strategic cooperation, not only with Vodafone, because the merger of Voyo and O2 has essentially opened up the other half of the market for cooperation.

In addition to Vodafone, you also have a partnership with the Scandinavian VOD service Viaplay. This will give prima+ viewers access to titles from Viaplay’s offering. Is this a long-term project?

Yes, it is a multi-year contract with a relatively large volume of content. Viaplay has really high-quality titles – not only crime series that are well known throughout Europe, but also reality shows and documentaries. The catalogue is gradually expanding, and a relatively large part of the offering is changed every year. This is exclusive content that Czech viewers will not see anywhere else.

We will strive for further strategic cooperation, not only with Vodafone, because the merger of Voyo and O2 has essentially opened up the second half of the market for cooperation.

Marek Singer

Let’s return to television. Despite the development of VOD services, television advertising revenues remain the main source of funding. How would you assess this year’s developments in the television advertising market?

I would describe it as less certain. The first half of the year was comparable to last year, perhaps slightly better, but the summer has been weaker. Now we will see what autumn brings.

Are you planning a significant increase in TV advertising prices for next year?

We will raise prices, but the question is by how much. With the number of people watching television declining, we cannot maintain current advertising prices. I don’t want to speculate on the exact increase, but I expect it to be higher than a few per cent.

And how do you respond to clients who say that their target audience is under 40?

We hear that a lot. But if you say that your target audience under 40 is the only thing you’re interested in, then you’re automatically excluding at least a third of your potential customers, which doesn’t make sense to me from a marketing perspective. The reality of Czech demographics is that older audiences are key, even if not everyone admits it.

I don’t want to speculate on the exact increase, but I expect the growth in TV advertising prices to be higher than a few per cent.

Marek Singer

Are you planning any changes to your channel portfolio in the near future? You were considering launching new stations Prima Port and Prima Case. What is the current situation?

We are not planning any new stations in the autumn. We will focus more on modifying the existing ones. We will adapt the content and positioning of individual channels to better suit their target audiences. If a channel starts to stray from our intended direction, we will steer it back on course. However, this is an ongoing process and is not necessarily tied to the start of autumn.

We are preparing a new channel in Slovakia, where we will launch the Slovak version of Prima Krimi on 1 September. This will complete our portfolio for the Slovak market.

In June, you reported the consolidated revenue of the entire Prima group, including radio and online, for last year. It was approximately CZK 7 billion. You stated that the largest part of this was television advertising. Did you see a year-on-year shift in the share of VOD and other digital income in total revenues?

Television advertising remains the main source of revenue, but it is clear that digital segments are growing. Personally, I see an opportunity in inserted advertising, which is a matter of technological adjustments and negotiations with operators, which are currently underway. The percentage of non-linear revenues will definitely grow. How fast, I don’t know, but I can imagine that within five years, the share of linear and non-linear revenues could be balanced. It depends on whether we can take the best of television and the best of online and offer it in a single product.

I can imagine that within five years, the share of linear and non-linear revenues could be balanced.

Marek Singer, CEO, FTV Prima

He has been CEO of FTV Prima since March 2008, with a break from January 2013 to May 2015, when he was Executive Vice President of MTG for Central and Eastern Europe. He spent the first eight years of his career at Unilever in Europe and the United States. From 2002, he spent four years as marketing and then sales director at Masterfoods. In the following two years, he worked as sales and marketing director at Karlovarské minerální vody, with responsibility for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Source: mediaguru.cz

CZECH TELEVISION DEFENDS ITS LEAD IN JULY, NOVA CONTINUES TO SHOW THE HIGHEST GROWTH

The first month of summer vacation saw Czech Television take the lead in television ratings among the broader audience group aged 15 and older. However, commercial broadcasters strengthened their position year-on-year, especially the Nova group.

In July, the stations of Czech Television defended their position as the most watched television group with a 29.48% share of all-day viewing in the universal group aged 15 and over. They also achieved the highest share in this audience group during prime time. The Nova group remained the strongest in the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups. This is shown by official data from ATO-Nielsen.

Czech Television maintained its lead despite a year-on-year decline in its share. This was mainly due to a decline in the sports channel ČT sport, which last year in the same month benefited from the broadcast of the European Football Championship and the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. This year, the Nova group benefited most from this in the 15-54 age group, increasing its share in this audience group by 4.5 percentage points year-on-year during prime time.

The Nova group confirmed its position as the fastest growing domestic television group in the first month of the summer holidays. The Prima group also improved year-on-year in July, as did its direct commercial competitors in all main viewer groups. Televize Seznam also continues to report higher audience shares than in the same period last year.

Nova leads the stations, ČT1 is the climber

The highest share in the universal 15+ group belongs to the main channel TV Nova (16.83%), followed by ČT1 (15.10%) and the main channel TV Prima (9.80%). The biggest year-on-year improvement was achieved by ČT1 (+1.27 pb), followed by Nova Gold (+0.85 pb to 2.87%), CNN Prima News (+0.81 pp to 2.53%) and ČT24 (+0.64 pp to 4.72%). On the other hand, the biggest year-on-year decline was recorded by ČT sport (-5.50 pp), which broadcast Euro 2024 in July last year and also included the first week of the Olympic Games in Paris.

July’s most watched program was Policie Modrava

The most watched program in July was a rerun of Policie Modrava (TV Nova) with 1.03 million viewers aged 15+ (episode broadcast on July 27). In addition to the news programs Počasí (Nova), Sportovní noviny (Nova) and Televizní noviny (Nova), reruns of the series Specialisté were also among the top programs.

Source: mediaguru.cz

SIR JOHN HEGARTY FOR GTVG ON THE POWER OF CREATIVITY

Few figures have shaped modern advertising as profoundly as Sir John Hegarty. From co-founding Bartle Bogle Hegarty to producing some of the most iconic TV ads of the last half-century, his work has consistently championed the power of creativity to move people and markets. As brands today navigate an increasingly data-driven landscape, Sir John remains a powerful advocate for the human truths and emotional insights that lie at the heart of great advertising. We asked him to share his thoughts on creativity, the enduring role of television, and how the industry must evolve without losing its soul.

You’ve often emphasized the importance of truth and emotional resonance in creative work. In an era dominated by data-driven advertising and performance metrics, how do you see the role of intuition and human insight evolving?

There’s a growing obsession with what can be measured. But the truth is, measurement doesn’t lead to meaning. Creativity does. Intuition and emotional insight remain the lifeblood of great advertising. Data might tell you what’s happening, but it rarely tells you why it matters. When you ignore instinct, you risk creating work that is technically efficient but emotionally empty.

People remember how you made them feel. That’s what moves markets. And that’s something a spreadsheet can’t capture.

TV has historically been one of the most powerful platforms for building iconic brands. In your view, what does great TV advertising still do better than digital, and what must it do differently today to stay creatively relevant?

TV has the unique ability to enter the public consciousness. A great spot on television can shape the national conversation in a way digital often can’t. Digital has its strengths. It’s nimble and targeted. But too often it’s consumed in silence, in a private scroll. Television, by contrast, still delivers scale and shared experience. That collective moment still matters. The challenge for TV is not just to stay relevant, but to stay bold. It must entertain and stand for something.

Having built some of the most memorable TV campaigns of the past few decades, how do you feel the craft of storytelling in TV ads has changed? Are we gaining or losing something in the shift toward shorter formats and algorithm-optimized content?

There’s nothing wrong with shorter formats. Brevity can be beautiful. But compression should never come at the expense of clarity. We’ve mistaken attention for engagement. And that shift is dangerous. A great story still needs room to breathe. When every message is trimmed to fit an algorithm, we lose the craft, and that’s often what makes people care. Brands must remember that storytelling is not a trick. It’s a connection.

Interview Questions from David de Jong:

You’re a strong advocate for creativity. How do you view the current content produced by TV companies, both linear and streaming platforms, public and private, in terms of creativity? How well are they embracing it, and where is there room for improvement?

I don’t much like the word content, the inside of my toilet pipes are technically filled with content. I think that’s part of the problem, there is more ‘content’ than ever. But much of it is creatively cautious. We’re seeing safe choices, not bold ones. Streaming platforms have unlocked ambition. But speed to market and volume targets often dilute the vision. Public broadcasters, meanwhile, are wrestling with their identity. The ones that win will be the ones that commit to original thinking, not just audience metrics. When companies back vision over validation, we get culture-shaping work. We need more of that.

How do you see the world of video commercials and creativity evolving today, especially in the wake of a quiet digital revolution? What changes are you noticing, and how do you think AI will influence this evolution? How can creatives continue to thrive in this shifting landscape?

Advertising is drifting, too little is felt. Digital has changed how we distribute ideas but not what makes them powerful. As for AI, it’s a collaborator – not a tool. I think creatives would do well to view it as such and embrace it in your work. Rather than being like a pencil or a camera, it’s like a colleague. The only difference is it cannot imagine. Our job is not to replicate what already exists. It’s to create what doesn’t.

The Netherlands has a strong tradition of humour in TV advertising. Yet, some within the creative and advertising industries suggest this has diminished due to social and political shifts. How do you perceive this trend, and what’s your take on its impact?

Humour used to be a hallmark of Dutch advertising. It made the work memorable. Lately, that edge feels blunted, but there is a global climate of caution too. And yes, humour can be risky. But it’s also human, it builds rapport and invites participation. In many ways, it’s the antidote to the overly polished, overly cautious work we’re seeing today. A culture that forgets how to laugh forgets how to connect. Let’s not let that happen.

A Note on Cannes for Sir John Hegarty: An Industry Divided?

Cannes has long stood as the global celebration of creativity in advertising. As the event had been growing in recent years, with a very big presence of American tech and platforms, do you feel a certain ideological divide slowing installing? On one side, the creative voices in the Palais champion storytelling, emotion, long term brand building and originality. On the other, the rise of data, automation, and AI is shifting how success is defined, toward performance, efficiency, and precision.

While both sides are present, they often seem to speak different languages, driven by different values. The Palais-guests vs the fringe participants. Is this tension at Cannes reflective of a deeper fracture within the industry itself? One where creativity and tech are not necessarily in conflict, but no longer aligned in purpose? And in that context, should TV businesses, rooted in both brand storytelling and audience scale, play a more active role in bridging this gap and getting better at telling a story that proves that they can be both?

There is a divide, and Cannes makes it obvious. Inside the Palais, creativity is championed as emotional, enduring, brand-building. Outside, on the beaches and yachts, it’s performance, data, precision. And they rarely meet in the middle.

This isn’t inherently bad. But it becomes a problem when we stop speaking a common language. Creativity must work. It must solve real problems for real brands under real pressure. If it doesn’t, then what exactly are we awarding?

Mark Ritson’s research was a necessary provocation. If the best work isn’t the most effective, then we’ve lost the plot. Creativity isn’t for galleries. It’s for growth. That’s what DDB and CDP understood. They didn’t chase applause. They built reputation and results.

So yes, Cannes reflects a tension. And no, tech and creativity don’t have to be in conflict. But we need to stop pretending they’re aligned if one side celebrates reach and the other forgets reason.

This is where television can play a role. It understands the need to be remembered and to reach many. It knows how to marry scale with story. The industry needs to stop splitting its soul and start joining its strengths.

Otherwise, we’re just clapping for ideas that never leave the beach.

~~Register for September 24 th webinar about power of creativity here.~~

AI Codex

Position of AKTV on the General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice

JULY 2025

In response to the Ministry of Culture’s request for a statement on the GPAI Code of Practice, specifically regarding one of its sections—namely the chapter “Copyright”—we provide below our observations and recommendations.

The chapter “Copyright” is one part of the Code; this part is inherently closely connected with another chapter of the Code titled “Transparency”. In our opinion, the Ministry of Culture should regard at least these two chapters as a single whole and comment on, monitor, and evaluate them in the context of their interrelated content, as both are fundamental chapters for rights holders.

Although the final version of the Code has undergone partial changes in both of the chapters mentioned above compared to the draft versions, these changes are ultimately mostly cosmetic. The final version has failed to meet the expectations that the audiovisual industry had placed in it, particularly in light of the ongoing, unprecedented violations of copyright by GPAI providers.

We are concerned that even after 2 August this year, the trend of one industrial sector infringing upon the rights of another will continue at an unstoppable pace and with limitless scope. Specifically, we fear that GPAI providers will continue to unjustly profit at the expense of rights holders—those who, through their creative work, have generated value in the form of data on which GPAI providers, under the guise of inevitable progress for all humanity, are training their models and will likely continue to do so in the future without the consent of rights holders, all for economic gain. In its current form, the Code is not capable of curbing this trend to an extent that would adequately protect the rights of copyright holders.

Transparency regarding the data used for training is absolutely fundamental. Without comprehensive information about the training data used by GPAI services, the implementation of the AI Act will not be in line with the letter of the law, and at the same time, it will prevent us—as rights holders—from effectively enforcing our rights or negotiating fair licenses for copyrighted works. In this respect, the provisions of the Code are overly general and incomplete.

At this stage—when the adequacy of the Code will be assessed by the Member States (at the level of the European Artificial Intelligence Board) and, most importantly, by the European Commission (at the level of the AI Office), and when the European Commission may subsequently approve the Code and grant it general applicability within the European Union through an implementing act or establish common rules for fulfilling the relevant obligations itself should the AI Office find the Code inadequate—we can now only appeal for the Czech Republic to stand behind the Czech audiovisual industry by demanding the development of rules that are fair to both rights holders and GPAI providers. In the next steps, an active role is essential not only from EU institutions but also from national authorities to ensure that the situation is properly assessed and that subsequent steps are taken based on that assessment. As for the specific actions of the Czech Republic, it is essential that the Ministry of Culture actively participate in the above-mentioned future steps and processes of monitoring and impact assessment, and that these processes and steps be carried out with the involvement of stakeholders from the audiovisual industry—meaning we should be consulted through targeted questionnaires, interviews, or other methods for the purpose of providing feedback on AI-related issues, specifically the rights of copyright holders.

In conclusion, we state that the audiovisual industry makes a vital contribution to the freedom of the press and news media, and forms the foundation of European cultural diversity, social cohesion, European values, and democratic dialogue. We are part of this industry and therefore deserve appropriate protection. This is our appeal to the Czech Republic.

CONSUMERS 65 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE INFECTED BY MALWARE THROUGH PIRACY SITES

An argument frequently used by rights holders as they attempt to persuade consumers not to view illegally obtained content has been given new backing.

A new study released by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), has found consumers are up to 65 times more likely to be infected with malware when using piracy sites as compared to legitimate websites.

The report, Consumer Risk from Piracy in Southeast Asia explored activity in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“As this study makes clear, the risks and ramifications substantially increase for those in Southeast Asia who visit piracy sites,”

said Study author Dr Paul Watters. a cybersecurity researcher and thought leader at Cyberstronomy. “Though efforts to curb digital piracy are ongoing, these stark results require additional action – such as smart tools and proven measures – to mitigate the relevant digital threats in each country.”

Overall, the study concluded that piracy sites – including streaming piracy platforms, P2P networks, IPTV services, scam portals, anime piracy sites, and manga repositories – carry a cyber threat risk more than 22 times higher than that of mainstream legitimate sites.

“The research findings reaffirm the extensive harms piracy networks inflict upon consumers and the economy in Southeast Asia,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association. “We applaud Dr. Watters and his team for their work in revealing the dangers of using these illicit sources, and we look forward to further collaboration with law enforcement throughout the region to detect these bad actors, deter future misdeeds, and dismantle unlawful operations that endanger a thriving creative marketplace.”

Peer-to-peer networks, scam portals, and streaming piracy sites carry the highest relative risks of cyber threat, while consumers in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia have the highest average relative risk of encountering a cyber threat from a piracy service – each approaching or exceeding a 34-fold increase over legitimate sites.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ILLEGAL STREAMING: GERMAN AUTHORITIES DISMANTLE PIRATE IPTV NETWORK

German investigators have struck a significant blow against illegal IPTV operations, arresting suspects, seizing servers, and confiscating assets worth around €500,000.

The large-scale anti-piracy action was coordinated by the Criminal Police Inspectorate in Weiden and the Central Office for Cybercrime Bavaria (ZCB), following investigations that began in early 2024.

Five men – three 25-year-old Germans, a 25-year-old Austrian, and a 27-year-old Azerbaijani – are suspected of reselling premium streaming services, including those of a German provider and Netflix, to paying customers through an illicit IPTV platform.

On 3 June 2025, after months of preparation, simultaneous raids were carried out at nine locations: one in the district of Tirschenreuth, two in Munich, one in the district of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, and five in Hamburg. More than 100 officers were involved in the coordinated operation, led from Weiden in cooperation with a ZCB prosecutor.

Three suspects were initially remanded in custody. The arrest warrant for a 25-year-old from Munich has since been lifted after initial analysis of seized data failed to confirm strong suspicion, though investigations continue.

Another suspect from Hamburg faces additional charges: preliminary evidence from his seized devices suggests incitement to severe child sexual abuse via a messenger service, as well as involvement in the creation and possession of child abuse material. A 25-year-old software developer from the Tirschenreuth district, believed to be the main perpetrator, remains in custody.

The suspects allegedly operated with advanced IT knowledge and a sophisticated server infrastructure. Securing digital evidence was therefore a priority. The mobile forensic lab “Paladin” from the Upper Franconia Police Headquarters was deployed to ensure rapid on-site data capture.

With assistance from cybercrime specialists in Amberg, Regensburg, Munich, Upper Franconia, the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office and Hamburg’s LKA, investigators seized extensive hardware and storage media. Many encrypted devices were successfully unlocked on site.

Given the suspected financial gains from the illegal streaming scheme, investigators also focused on confiscating assets. Cash, gold coins, and cryptocurrencies valued at approximately €500,000 were secured, with the help of specialists in asset recovery and cryptocurrency tracing.

The operation yielded what investigators called a “major interim success”: an entire server infrastructure, numerous mobile phones, USB sticks, gaming consoles, and large volumes of cloud data were secured. Several servers abroad, allegedly used to operate the illicit IPTV services, were also seized. Processing the terabytes of data is underway and will still take some time.

The suspects face charges of commercial unlawful exploitation of related rights under the German Copyright Act. Customers who subscribed to the illegal IPTV services should also expect criminal proceedings. One suspect faces additional accusations of incitement to severe child sexual abuse, commissioning the production of child abuse material, and possession of such content.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

POWER OUTAGE AFFECTS TV VIEWING

TV viewing during the blackout: dramatic drop in affected areas offset by growth in other regions.

The power outage that hit a large part of the Czech Republic on Friday, July 4, had a significant impact on television viewership. In the most affected regions, live viewership fell by up to tens of percent. However, the impact of the blackout was mitigated nationwide by increased viewer interest in unaffected areas, according to Atmedia, citing data from ATO-Nielsen.

The largest power outage in recent years hit Prague, the Central Bohemian, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, and Hradec Králové regions, as well as parts of the Pardubice and Olomouc regions on Friday, July 4.

In the most affected regions, there was a dramatic drop during the outage. For example, in the Ústí nad Labem region, live viewership between 12:00 and 15:00 was 80% lower than the average Friday afternoon over the previous three weeks. In the Liberec region, it fell by 67%, in Prague by 44% and in the Central Bohemian region by 40%.

In contrast, people in unaffected regions spent more time in front of their screens than usual. The South Bohemian Region recorded a 28% increase in viewership, the Pilsen Region 27%, and the South Moravian Region 23%. Higher viewership was also reported in the Vysočina, Zlín, and Moravian-Silesian regions.

“Total live TV viewership between 12:00 and 15:00 was 11% lower than on the previous three Fridays. The significant decline in some regions was partially offset by increases in others,” explains Pavel Müller, Senior Head of Research & Marketing at Atmedia. According to him, all-day viewership was only 4% lower.

According to Atmedia representatives, it is common for exceptional situations to increase interest in television broadcasting. Viewers turn to television not only as a source of information, but also for entertainment and relaxation.

“Extraordinary events usually increase television viewership,” says Michaela Suráková, director of Atmedia. “We saw this, for example, during the floods in September last year or when COVID-19 measures were announced. At that time, television became a daily companion for millions of people.”

According to her, we see similar trends during major sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the Ice Hockey World Championship. TV viewership is also traditionally strong during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Last year, an average of 5.6 million viewers aged 15+ tuned in to television in the Czech Republic every day, spending 3 hours and 36 minutes in front of the screen – which is above the European average.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ČT WAS THE STRONGEST IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, BUT NOVA GREW THE MOST

Despite a decline, Czech Television maintained its highest share of all-day viewing in the universal 15+ group in the first half of this year. However, Nova recorded the highest growth, winning in the younger viewer categories and in prime time.

Česká televize maintained its strongest position on the television market in all-day broadcasting in the first half of 2025. In the 15+ target group, it achieved a share of 29.29%, which still puts it in first place ahead of Nova and Prima. However, due to savings in its programming, the public broadcaster recorded a year-on-year decline in all monitored viewer categories. This is shown by data from ATO-Nielsen for the period from 1 January to 30 June 2025.

ČT recorded a more significant decline in prime time, where it reached 28.50% (-1.71 pb) of the total population aged 15+. It recorded greater losses among the younger target groups surveyed, i.e. 15–54 and 18–69.

The Nova Group, on the other hand, continues its growth trend. In the all-day measurement, it recorded year-on-year growth in all groups. In the key 15-54 group, its share increased by 1.7 percentage points year-on-year. In prime time, it maintains its leading position in all viewer groups.

The Prima Group maintains relatively stable performance in terms of viewership. In all-day broadcasting in the 15+ target group, it achieved a share of 26.91%, which represents a slight decrease of 0.41 percentage points. It reported a similar result in its target group of 18-69.

Among smaller television players, the biggest shift was recorded by Televize Seznam, which strengthened across all target groups and daily time slots. In all-day broadcasting in the 15+ target group, its share rose to 1.98% (+0.44 pb), and in prime time to 1.95% (+0.48 pb). In the commercial groups 15–54 and 18–69, its results are slightly above 1.8% and show a similar trend.

TV Nova is the year’s biggest climberIn terms of individual stations, the most significant year-on-year increase in the first half of the year was recorded by the main channel TV Nova (+0.91 pb to 18.21%). It was followed by the news channel ČT24 with an increase of 0.68 percentage points (to 4.54%). The third highest increase was recorded by the station Nova Gold (+0.52 pp to 2.45%). All figures are for the 15+ target group in all-day broadcasting. CNN Prima News continued the trend from previous periods and strengthened by 0.43 percentage points year-on-year (to 2.41%). Among thematic stations, growth was recorded by, for example, Prima Krimi (+0.28 pp to 4.46%) and Nova Lady (+0.13 pp to 1.0%).

The first half of the year was dominated by ice hockey

The most watched programme of the first half of the year was the ice hockey match between the Czech Republic and Sweden at the World Championships (ČT sport). It was watched by 1.66 million viewers aged 15 and over (47.4% share). The second most watched programme was the January TV detective film Kroky vraha (ČT1), based on a novel by Michaela Klevisová. It was watched by 1.64 million viewers. Czech ice hockey matches at this year’s World Championships appear five more times in the top ten. The series Limity (ČT1), Vraždy v kraji (Nova) and Televizní noviny (Nova) also made it into the top ten.

Source: mediaguru.cz

MAN JAILED AFTER MAKING £300,000 FROM ILLEGAL STREAMING SERVICE

A man who pocketed £300,000 through the operation of an illegal streaming service before he fled the country, has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Mark Brockley, 56, ran a subscription-based IPTV service known as aFINITY IPTV for around five years, between 2014 and 2019.

The sentencing follows an investigation led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), following a referral from BT, which identified Brockley as being involved in the illegal sale of streaming services.

Brockley was arrested and later charged with fraud and copyright offences at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2021. After being released on police bail, he failed to appear at multiple court hearings, and sentencing proceeded in his absence in May 2023.

Financial investigations revealed that Brockley had been using bank accounts based in France. Further digital enquiries eventually traced him to an apartment block in Spain. In August 2024, he was located and arrested in Girona during a coordinated operation involving the PIPCU, National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol, and Interpol.

However, having been released pending further investigation, Brockley appealed his extradition back to the UK and was subsequently bailed. He failed to attend multiple court hearings in Spain and was circulated as wanted by Spanish authorities.

In a coordinated effort between UK and Spanish authorities, Brockley was eventually arrested at Barcelona Airport while attempting to board a flight to the UK last week (Friday, 20 June).

He was remanded in custody at Heathrow Airport and will now commence his five-year sentence.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

LALIGA PRESIDENT SAYS COST OF NOT FIGHTING PIRACY IS HIGH

Spanish LALIGA clubs are losing between €600 and €700 million a year as a result of online piracy, according to LALIGA president Javier Tebas.

Last season, LALIGA introduced new AI monitoring technology to monitor registration patterns, track suspicious behaviour in traffic and amplify the capacity of teams working to detect fraud. As previously reported in Broadband TV News, LALIGA has also been engaged in the dynamic blocking of IP addresses.

Speaking at the second edition of the LALIGA EXTRATIME industry forum in Singapore, Tebas said:

“Fighting audiovisual fraud has a high cost for LALIGA, but we choose to lead, because the cost of not doing so is much higher. We are facing highly organised criminal networks that cause unimaginable damage across the economy.”

“The scale of the challenge means that there must be total commitment at the institutional level and between companies, both in the sports industry and technology. This fight is global and collaborative, and we must also act by denouncing the inactivity of some intermediaries, who are allowing criminal content to be shared through their infrastructures,” he said.

Delegates heard that according to a report by the Live Content Coalition (LCC), 10.8 million illegal sports broadcasts were detected in Europe alone in 2024.

LALIGA participated in 2024 in Operation Kratos, led by Europol, which succeeded in dismantling a network of 22 million users in Europe. In this operation, weapons and drugs were also seized in searches. Legal milestones have also been achieved, such as the landmark ruling that allowed LALIGA to carry out dynamic IP blocking. In addition, LALIGA has strengthened its cooperation with responsible intermediaries such as Meta, YouTube or TikTok in recent seasons.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THE TRANSITION OF O2 CUSTOMERS TO ONEPLAY IS NEARING COMPLETION. WE WANT TO CREATE A NEW LOVE BRAND, SAYS NOVA CEO

Nova TV completes a major transition of customers from O2 TV to its new platform, Oneplay. In an interview with e15, Nova CEO Daniel Grunt describes why Nova has given up the successful Voyo brand, how it is handling the technical difficulties that accompanied the launch of Oneplay, and explains where the new streaming giant plans to go next. “Globally, we are seeing a trend of a decline in pay TV in favour of streaming services,” says Grunt, explaining the end of O2 TV.

When exactly will the transition of O2 TV customers to the new Oneplay platform be complete, and why has it been staggered into so many stages?

We are now finalising the last part, which should be done in the coming weeks. By the end of June, the entire base should be completely migrated, and O2 TV will cease to exist.

What were the biggest unexpected challenges during the transition to the new platform?

The most obvious problem occurred on the very first day, when unfortunately, our service went down for two hours due to a database failure within Amazon’s AWS. It was supposed to be zero-downtime service, and there should have been an automatic capacity increase, but that didn’t happen. There was another fifteen minute outage the next evening, but we haven’t experienced any massive problems since then.

As expected, we are still experiencing minor technical problems. Even though we spent two years preparing for the migration and four months testing the final version, a real deployment will always show a million different combinations – TV type, hardware, software updates, home connection and other factors. It’s only in live operation that these issues start to become apparent and are resolved.

Are you still dealing with any transition-related issues now?

We are currently dealing with isolated issues that affect perhaps tens to hundreds of users. Fortunately, our customers communicate well, and their feedback allows us to address individual issues effectively. Overall, the quality and availability of the service are already close to the level that customers were used to with Voyo. We will be fine-tuning minor technical improvements for a few more weeks, but overall, we are on track.

Many people have experienced problems due to older equipment. How many users have been affected by these limitations, and how have you addressed this?

Unfortunately, we had to stop supporting some of the oldest devices. Voyo has historically supported the widest range of TVs dating back to 2013-2014, but the new service is more technically challenging. Customers started advising each other on social media about what devices, like Chromecast or different set-top boxes, to get to make the service work. It’s great to see that the user community was able to help itself. Of course, we tried to advise them as well.

One user experience: Why do I have to manage my subscription through a web browser rather than directly in the app?

We haven’t managed to implement this functionality yet. The service is large, and every time we launch something this big, not all the planned features fit into the first version. However, we have this functionality in the roadmap, and it will be available in a few weeks to months. We have deliberately tried to launch the service quickly, so some things have been deferred to later updates.

Voyo is still working in Slovakia. Do you have any plans yet to merge this service with Oneplay?

Not yet. At the moment, we are fully focused on completing the migration of O2 TV in the Czech Republic and getting users used to the new service quickly. We are going through a sensitive period right now, as people have lost the services they have been used to for years and have been given a product that looks different and in some cases is more expensive. We need to get through this period, and then we will continue to build customer satisfaction.

The Voyo brand was already well established. Isn’t it a shame that it’s now being replaced by a new platform?

The Voyo brand has been really successful, and we have invested a lot of money and energy in it. People are asking a lot about this change. When we started the re-launch of Voyo four years ago, few people believed we would grow from 60,000 users to a million and become a major streaming service and love brand. Now we are starting again, and we believe Oneplay will be even more successful.

Why did you decide to create a new Oneplay brand instead of developing your existing services?

Many people laughed at me and said I had lost my marbles when we started building Voyo as a strong brand with the goal of growing to a million paying customers. Very few people really believed that. Ironically, the same people ask me today why we cancelled this successful brand. But the decision had a rational basis – we were combining two different services, pure streaming Voyo and classic IPTV O2 TV.

Our goal was to create an entirely new category of services, not just enhanced versions of existing products. We are creating a central point for Czech households where they can find quality Czech content, live TV, plenty of sports and other interesting shows. We are convinced that such a big change should be underlined by the new brand, and we believe that Oneplay will soon become a love brand for Czech households.

Did the reasons for the merger also include concerns about a potential decline in the future popularity of O2 TV?

Globally, we see a trend of pay TV declining in favour of streaming services. In America, Western and Northern Europe, this trend has already happened. In the Czech Republic, the pay TV market has been stagnant for the last three years. That’s why we wanted to combine the most successful Czech IPTV with our streaming service in time to prevent future decline and offer users a unified and comprehensive service.

Do you still have any plans for the original Voyo brand, such as using it in other countries?

At the moment, this is not yet decided. We are focused on successfully completing the integration in the Czech Republic. Other possible markets for expansion are Slovakia and Romania. In each country, we will decide individually, depending on the market situation and the available options. For example, in Romania, we do not have a telecom operator, while in Slovakia, our operator is relatively small. The decision on whether we will use the Oneplay brand or keep Voyo has not yet been made.

Is it possible that you would extend the Oneplay concept to countries where you are not yet operating?

So far, we are only focusing on countries where we have strong TV stations or telecom operators. These factors are key to the success of a streaming service. For example, in Serbia, we launched Voyo in cooperation with the Yettel operator, although we don’t have a TV station there, and we use content from Croatia and Slovenia. So, there is the opportunity for cross-border expansion, but it has to make business sense.

How did the name Oneplay come about, and what other names did you consider?

We considered hundreds of different names. Personally, I was closest to the Voyo brand for a long time, but we knew we couldn’t use it. We needed a simple, easy-to-pronounce name. Other options included Vixo or Epic, which we ended up not using because of trademark complications. In the end, we chose Oneplay because it met our requirements.

Source: Petr Kobliha

How has your content strategy changed since the unification of services?

There have been no major changes in our original production, fiction and documentary, we continue to grow. We are adding more shows and reality shows, which are very popular with the younger generation. For example, this summer we will launch a new reality show called The Farm. In addition, we are significantly expanding our sports offerings as the new service has combined the content portfolio of both platforms. Oneplay will thus offer viewers a unique combination of exclusive quality content, including sporting events.

What place does news have in your strategy?

News is a key pillar of any great television. Our TV news (Televizní noviny) has long been the most watched news programme in the Czech Republic. In recent years, we have also strengthened our journalism and political debates.

You described news as an important part of your strategy. What are your future plans in this area?

News is key for us, whether it is linear television or digital platforms. Nowadays, people don’t want to be tied to a specific airtime, so we distribute our content across different channels such as social media, our website TN.cz or YouTube and TikTok. This allows us to create a wide reach. We have also recently expanded our digital channel, TN Live, where we are testing new formats and faces. Gradually, we want to turn it into a full-fledged digital news and lifestyle channel with new shows, including podcasts.

You buy shows from Czech Television. Is it profitable for you?

Buying content from Czech Television is a must for us because we want to be the biggest platform with local content. Voyo had the largest range of Czech and Slovak films and series, which continues with Oneplay. Czech Television produces quality content, which we regularly buy, although it is not cheap. I can’t give exact figures, but the volume of content we buy is growing every year.

Source: Petr Kobliha

How do you try to reach young viewers?

Nova has historically always targeted a younger audience, and that is still the case. Our main target group is viewers aged 15 to 54. We invest in content that appeals to young viewers, such as reality shows. This year, for example, we will launch a new reality show, The Farm, which is successful in Slovakia. We also have other popular formats such as Survivor or Love Island. Reality shows are most successful on the digital platform, while shows like crime dramas are more popular on TV. We try to distribute content in a balanced way between the digital platform and TV, which helps us reach a diverse audience.

How much revenue does Oneplay generate for the Nova Group?

We don’t disclose specific figures, but I can say that Voyo already had a double-digit share of total revenue. TV advertising accounted for about 60 per cent of revenue last year, with the rest coming from other sources, including the digital platform, which is now in its second year of profitability.

Source: e15.cz