Muzzling the media
Consolidation of the Czech media market will put more influence into the hands of the CR's oligarchs, but it's not yet clear what this will mean. There are recent examples of the titans of industry using their media outlets to attack each other, but there are also examples of mutual backscratching. Týden, one of the big media successes of recent years, is exhibiting traces of both of these phenomena. The departure of business writer Miroslav Motejlek suggests that someone wasn't thrilled with his disobedient comments about Orco, PPF, NWR and others. At the same time, the weekly magazine - owned by Prague property developer Sebastian Pawlowski - breached its long-term policy of not butting heads with Prague city hall. Editor-in-chief Dalibor Balšínek, who is also leaving, wrote that Roman Janoušek is the one who does Pavel Bém's deals for him. Our guess is that the CR's billionaires will soon realize that there's more to be gained by banding together than by slitting each other's throats in print.
Glossary of difficult words
to muzzle - to prevent a person or institution, esp. the press, from expressing its opinions freely;backscratching - the mutual providing of favors or services, esp. when the legitimacy of such deals is doubtful;
trace - indication or sign;
disobedient - refusing to obey rules;
to breach - to break or fail to observe a law, agreement or code of conduct;
to butt heads with - to engage in conflict with.