The embattled director of Czech state television (CT), accused of political bias by his staff, conceded to growing pressure and resigned yesterday citing health reasons.
Mr Jiri Hodac, whose election last month as director prompted a three-week takeover of the station by CT journalists, was taken to hospital last week suffering from suspected exhaustion. "On the basis of conversations today with my doctor . . . I unfortunately had to accept the conclusion that at this moment I cannot perform the job to which I was legally elected," Mr Hodac said.
He said he had suffered "the most unimaginable and mean personal attacks" at the hands of CT journalists. Striking journalists vowed to continue their action until the rest of their demands are met.
"This isn't the end. We will continue to strike until Mr Hodac's deputies resign and parliament fires the television council," said Mr Martin Schmarcz, a CT journalist, to The Irish Times.
The television council is dominated by appointees of the two main political parties, the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD) and their parliamentary ally, the Civic Democrats (ODS).
Journalists accused Mr Hodac of being beholden to the ODS and the party leader, the former prime minister Mr Vaclav Klaus. Mr Hodac, a former BBC Czech Service journalist, has always denied the accusations of bias. It remained unclear last night how long the stand-off would continue, but journalists have the support of the public as well as the Czech President, Mr Vaclav Havel.
What began as a television strike before Christmas turned in a campaign for free speech last week when a demonstration to protest political interference in state media attracted over 100,000 people, the largest demonstration since the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
For three weeks CT journalists broadcast strike news programmes on satellite, cable and on the Internet, but management blacked out terrestrial transmissions until last Tuesday. On the same day management removed guards who were posted outside the locked newsroom door, to hinder access to the journalists. Mr Hodac's resignation followed the resignation of two television council members earlier in the day, and pre-empted a emergency session of parliament today when politicians were planning to find a way to fire him.
The government had planned to replace the existing council and to introduce emergency legislation under which a new council would be appointed on recommendations from civic groups and not politicians.
