The extraordinary meeting of the ČT Council lasted three and a half hours, for which eight of the eighteen councilors requested the chairman Karel Novák. There was only one item on the program called “Cancellation of the program 168 hours by the CEO of CT”. Jan Souček, who participated in the meeting online, objected to the name of the meeting, because it was not he who decided to cancel, but the program board of Czech Television. It emerged from his words that the last straw for canceling the show was the lascivious and intimate communication of Nora Fridrichová with Mark Wollner, which was covered in the tabloids. “I am really sorry and struck that the CEO, who commented on the communication today, called it intimate and lascivious. Anyone who looks at that communication will see that there was no lasciviousness or intimacy on my part.
I’m really sorry, Mr. General Manager, for the reason that you are our superior, the way you go at me even in this public way, I’m sorry. I also had quite a tight throat at some moments, it was really not pleasant for me. This will of course have an impact on everyone at Czech Television. This is not just any thing. You know very well, and it happened to you yourself with Mark Wollner, that I became the target of his attacks. And the only thing I could do at that moment was to defend myself. The case does not threaten or harm Czech Television. It was also right after the case that I published the whole truth. As for what I’ve been up to since the end of 168 hours was announced, I’ve kept a beaver of silence.
I am trying to defend the principle of truth and journalistic honor
I discussed with our head of communications, Jana Mrákotová, whether I wanted to be in the press release on the day of the publication at the end of 168 hours. That’s what I told her, not to get angry, that I don’t want it. But I told her how I would comment, and I followed through. Then I went on vacation with the children and the criticism started to pile up. You praised me in that first message, but then you stopped praising me. In the same way, my superiors and your subordinates started criticizing both me and my colleagues, you started defaming our work and making foul and false arguments. I apologize for using such terminology. And to tell the truth, I think I did the absolutely right thing, that it just had to be done.
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They have to fight for our work, which in my opinion was not as terrible as it is being portrayed now. I think that the argumentation, so harsh and so condemning of us, only takes place for the reason that you explain the end of 168 hours with it, because the explanation so far seems – let’s say – not quite solid. And the public seems to have a little trouble accepting him. This is only my position, but I want to say that I would not have spoken to Czech Television in any other way. I hope that I am not speaking against Czech Television, but I am trying to defend the principle of truth and I am trying to defend journalistic honor. And I believe that this is also my duty,” declared Nora Fridrichová at the end of the extraordinary meeting, as she was given the privilege of the last word by the councilors.
The tribunal or cooperative court was finally held
Already in the course of the tiresome meeting, where words were grabbed and argumentatively circled around in circles, one of the most passionately debating councilors, Tomáš Řehák, demanded that Nora Fridrichová be allowed to speak during the discussion of a point that directly concerned her, when she is already in the meeting room present. His colleague Milada Richterová even wanted to ask the former presenter 168 hours questions. “You want to turn it into a tribunal,” Jan Souček responded to the chairman’s question as to whether he agreed that his subordinate could speak. “I am against turning it into a cooperative court,” added councilor Jefim Fištejn.
Photo gallery: – Extraordinary Council of CT
The majority of the members of the ČT Council then realized that only its CEO or a member of top management authorized by him can represent Czech Television at its meeting, so Nora Fridrichová’s performance was temporarily omitted. In the end, a bug was found in the form of an additional “miscellaneous” point. In it, representatives of the public are given space for a three-minute performance. The moderator got five of them available and finally added another minute and a half of talking on top. Even before that, the councilors approved a resolution requesting the general director to submit the broadcasting schedule for journalism by September 10 and information on what the program 168 Hours will be replaced with.
Evidently they wanted to wash the stairs of the CEO
The head of public television repeatedly demonstrated great patience in answering the councilors, pointing out that it is against the law to enter into the autonomous decision-making of Czech Television as to whether a specific program will be cancelled. He controlled himself even when councilor Ivana Chmel Denčevová tried to interfere with his personnel policy with her question. Councilor Petr Šafařík summed up the reason for convening the extraordinary meeting when he stated that, according to its course, it is clear that those who requested it evidently wanted to wash the steps of the general director. In this direction, Vlastimil Ježek, the general director of Czech Radio in the 1990s, stood out among all.
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