Czech Television pulls out of Eurovision 2027 over budget cuts

Czech Television will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest after executive managers approved a complete withdrawal citing severe budget cuts, the public broadcaster confirmed on Tuesday, October 6.

“We will not see the Czech flag on stage next year,” the broadcaster stated on social media platform X, adding that it hopes to return to the international competition in the future, news agency AFP reported.

Under European Broadcasting Union (EBU) regulations, only active member broadcasters hold the authority to select and field a national representative for the contest.

Mounting pressure on public media funding

The withdrawal follows sweeping cost-reduction measures across Czech public media as the nationalist coalition government led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babiš seeks to overhaul broadcaster financing. The cabinet plans to scrap traditional viewer-funded licence fees in favor of direct state budget allocations, pledging significant spending cuts for both public television and radio.

Both Czech Television and Czech Radio have already initiated staff layoffs and programming cutbacks ahead of parliamentary debates on the proposed funding reform, where Babiš's coalition maintains a legislative majority.

Press freedom watchdogs, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), warned that transitioning to direct government funding directly jeopardizes public media independence. Public broadcaster employees staged a symbolic warning strike against the legislative initiative in June.

Critics argue that Babiš intends to curtail media autonomy, drawing parallels with policies pursued by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Compounding institutional crises for the EBU

Prague's exit inflicts further financial strain on the EBU, which is already managing political turmoil ahead of the 2027 contest after public broadcasters in Ireland and Spain announced plans to boycott the event over Israel's participation.

Irish national broadcaster RTÉ cited “the horrific and continuous loss of human life in Gaza” and the ongoing humanitarian emergency in the Palestinian enclave.

Five European nations—the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain—boycotted the 2026 contest in Vienna, challenging the EBU's decision to permit Israeli participation while Russian broadcasters were expelled following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

At the 2026 edition in Vienna, won by Bulgarian singer Dara, Czech entrant Daniel Žižka finished 16th with the song Crossroads. The Czech Republic has never won the competition since making its debut in 2007.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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Czech Television pulls out of Eurovision 2027 over budget cuts

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