Jan Soucek has been elected the new CEO of the Czech public broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT), effective October 1.
His mandate is for a period of six years and he will replace Petr Dvorak, whose second term in office expires on that date.
Soucek is currently the director of CT’s Brno studio and once in charge of CT would like to start working on the creation of a public digital news platform in which CT, Czech Radio and the Czech Press Office would participate. It could be created in 2025 and is his view even without the participation of other public companies.
Speaking to journalists following his election, he added: “there are a number of tasks that did not arise because television has done them wrong until now, but technological developments and events that are happening around us are changing the requirements of what society expects from public service media today. And that, among other things, is the digital agenda”.
Soucek also said his first steps would include a discussion on CT’s budget for next year. “And even before October 1, I would very much like to enter into a discussion with the team that is preparing a major amendment to the Act on Czech Television at the Ministry of Culture, because regardless of the fact that the mandate does not start until October, the content of that amendment will affect CT’s activities for a long time years ahead. So I will jump into it already this year during the holidays, if the representatives of the Ministry of Culture agree”.
Soucek believes that CT should look into efficiencies and outsourcing for content production rather than seek more money.
He expects to reduce CT’s management by 20% and would like to find out the details of the upcoming contract between CT and the online platform Voyo.
