Jana Bobošíková
Encyclopedia
Jana Bobošíková is a Czech politician
and former Member of the European Parliament
and was Non-Inscrit
in the European Parliament
.
She sat on many seats as: Committee on Regional Development
, and is a substitute for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
and a member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine
Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
(2000–01).
The "Czech TV crisis
" occurred at the end of 2000 and lasted until early 2001 as a battle for control of the airwaves, which included jamming, pirate broadcasts and accusations of censorship. On the evening during the Christmas holiday, viewers around the Czech Republic who had tuned into to the regular evening news broadcast watched the newscast broadcast by the news anchors they were used to being jammed and interrupted by Bobošíková, a former face at Czech TV sitting next to Jiří Hodač, who had been appointed general manager of Czech TV amid accusations by critics that he was close to Václav Klaus
' Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and to the then director of private TV channel Nova, Vladimír Železný
, and would undermine the editorial independence of the TV network.
During the Czech TV crisis, every time the regular Czech TV reporters, who occupied their studio and refused to recognize attempts by Bobošíková to fire them – and who were supported in their protest by politicians such as then President Václav Havel
and by celebrities – tried to air their news broadcasts, Bobošíková and Hodač would jam the news broadcast either with a black screen stating in Czech that "An authorized signal has not been taken to the transmitter. Broadcasting will continue in a few minutes", or with news broadcasts featuring Bobošíková and a team she had hired. These broadcasts began being referred to as "Bobovize" and some even compared the jamming to the situation during the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia when Czech TV and Czech Radio were jammed by Russian propaganda describing the invaders as Liberators. On the other hand, throughout the 2000/2001 Czech TV crisis supporters of Bobošíková, such as Klaus and then Czech Prime Minister Miloš Zeman
, accused the Czech TV rebel reporters of breaking the law and of not being as independent as they claimed.
The black screens and jamming of the news broadcasts by Bobošíková brought tens of thousands of people to the streets of Prague and other Czech cities and towns, where they held demonstrations calling for restoration of freedom of the press, demanding an end to what they perceived as censorship at Czech TV by Bobošíková. The demonstrations even drew support from international organizations representing reporters and made world headlines. The people in the streets in the Czech Republic also called for the resignation of Bobošíková and of the allegedly politically biased general manager and former BBC
employee Jiří Hodač. Hodač was even briefly hospitalized during the events.
The Czech TV crisis eventually ended in early 2001, following the departure from Czech TV by Hodač and Bobošíková under pressure from the street demonstration participants and at the request of the Czech Parliament, which had held an emergency session due to the crisis.
Most of the reporters who rebelled against Bobošíková are still at Czech TV today, including the current general manager Jiři Janeček, who was one of the news anchors who occupied the studio in protest. Bobošíková was later hired to moderate the political discussion program Sedmička on private TV Nova.
Politics of the Czech Republic
Politically, the Czech Republic is a multi-party parliamentary representative democratic republic. According to the Constitution of the Czech Republic, the President is the head of state while the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising supreme executive power...
and former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
and was Non-Inscrit
Non-Inscrits
Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups....
in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
She sat on many seats as: Committee on Regional Development
Committee on Regional Development
The Committee on Regional Development is a committee within the European Parliament.-External links:*...
, and is a substitute for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament.Since Economic and Monetary Union , the most important function of this Committee has been in relation to the European Central Bank . Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable...
and a member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
TV Crisis
In Czech Republic she is mostly known for her involvement in the political conflict over Česká televizeCeská televize
Česká televize is the public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting four channels.- Czechoslovak Television :Television in Czechoslovakia started to take its first steps before World War II. However, before visible results could be achieved, all activities were interrupted by...
(2000–01).
The "Czech TV crisis
Czech TV crisis
The Czech TV crisis occurred at the end of 2000 and lasted until early 2001 as a battle for control of the airwaves, which included jamming and accusations of censorship...
" occurred at the end of 2000 and lasted until early 2001 as a battle for control of the airwaves, which included jamming, pirate broadcasts and accusations of censorship. On the evening during the Christmas holiday, viewers around the Czech Republic who had tuned into to the regular evening news broadcast watched the newscast broadcast by the news anchors they were used to being jammed and interrupted by Bobošíková, a former face at Czech TV sitting next to Jiří Hodač, who had been appointed general manager of Czech TV amid accusations by critics that he was close to Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
' Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and to the then director of private TV channel Nova, Vladimír Železný
Vladimír Železný
Vladimír Železný is a media businessman, politician and convicted criminal in the Czech Republic. He was the first CEO of TV NOVA, a popular Czech television station and was a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009...
, and would undermine the editorial independence of the TV network.
During the Czech TV crisis, every time the regular Czech TV reporters, who occupied their studio and refused to recognize attempts by Bobošíková to fire them – and who were supported in their protest by politicians such as then President Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
and by celebrities – tried to air their news broadcasts, Bobošíková and Hodač would jam the news broadcast either with a black screen stating in Czech that "An authorized signal has not been taken to the transmitter. Broadcasting will continue in a few minutes", or with news broadcasts featuring Bobošíková and a team she had hired. These broadcasts began being referred to as "Bobovize" and some even compared the jamming to the situation during the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia when Czech TV and Czech Radio were jammed by Russian propaganda describing the invaders as Liberators. On the other hand, throughout the 2000/2001 Czech TV crisis supporters of Bobošíková, such as Klaus and then Czech Prime Minister Miloš Zeman
Miloš Zeman
Miloš Zeman is a well-known Czech politician. He was a member and leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party, former speaker of the chamber of deputies from 1996 until 1998, and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 until 2002. He was a frequent rival of Václav Klaus...
, accused the Czech TV rebel reporters of breaking the law and of not being as independent as they claimed.
The black screens and jamming of the news broadcasts by Bobošíková brought tens of thousands of people to the streets of Prague and other Czech cities and towns, where they held demonstrations calling for restoration of freedom of the press, demanding an end to what they perceived as censorship at Czech TV by Bobošíková. The demonstrations even drew support from international organizations representing reporters and made world headlines. The people in the streets in the Czech Republic also called for the resignation of Bobošíková and of the allegedly politically biased general manager and former BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
employee Jiří Hodač. Hodač was even briefly hospitalized during the events.
The Czech TV crisis eventually ended in early 2001, following the departure from Czech TV by Hodač and Bobošíková under pressure from the street demonstration participants and at the request of the Czech Parliament, which had held an emergency session due to the crisis.
Most of the reporters who rebelled against Bobošíková are still at Czech TV today, including the current general manager Jiři Janeček, who was one of the news anchors who occupied the studio in protest. Bobošíková was later hired to moderate the political discussion program Sedmička on private TV Nova.
Career
- 2009: leader of the Suverenita partySovereignty – Jana Bobošíková BlocSovereignty – Jana Bobošíková Bloc is an electoral alliance in the Czech Republic between the Party of Common Sense and Politika 21. It takes its name from the conservative and Eurosceptic former MEP Jana Bobošíková....
- 2008: Candidate for the president of the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
- 2004–2009: Member of the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
- 1989–2004: Presenter of television programmes on politics and economics
- 1999: Adviser to the Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic