Czechia

[CZ] Protection of Minors

IRIS 2004-10:1/13

Jan Fučík

Česká televize

Under Article 32 of Act No. 231/2001 on radio and television broadcasting, the Czech Republic's Council for Radio and Television ensures the protection of minors in respect of broadcast programmes.

Specifically, the Council must ensure that no programme likely to be detrimental to the physical, mental or moral development of minors is broadcast on radio or television except where it is deliberately broadcast at a time when minors would not normally hear or see it.

Thus no sound radio programme may be broadcast between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm if it might be offensive to minors. The Council has noted an evolution in the programmes of a number of radio stations concerning phone-ins. Editorial control is frequently lost in these programmes, which then veer towards pornography. Sexuality is sometimes handled in an overtly obscene manner and sexual practices, including various types of perversion, are described in detail to listeners.

The Czech Republic's Act No. 231/2001 on radio and television broadcasting bans the broadcasting of programmes likely to seriously damage the dignity of the human person or impair the physical, mental or moral development of minors. Each operator is required to ensure that its broadcasts show respect for the human person and equality between men and women, and protect children and young people. The Council served formal notice on Radio Frekvence 1 to respect its obligations in respect of broadcasting its programmes because of its failure to observe these provisions in a programme called "Sexy live", but this had no effect ­ the broadcasts containing pornographic sequences continued.

On 29 April 2004, the Council fined the operator the sum of CZK 20,000 (EUR 660). The Council has proposed that operators make stricter undertakings in respect of their code of practice, particularly in connection with the protection of minors.