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September 7th, 2008
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April 30th, 2008 | Current Issue

The curious case of the phantom blogger
PR agency caught promoting ČSOB with fake blog

Cabinet wrestles with sick leave
Constitutional Court ruling forces state to soften reforms

Sparks flying in cigarette dispute
Říman calls on EU to resolve Czech-Austrian squabble

State looks to scrap investment incentives
Subsidies for high-tech projects will remain

10 Questions
with Jean-Marie Le Goff
10 Questions

Vodafone promotes Anton
Movers & Shakers

BRIEFS


SLOVAKIA A report released by the European Union suggests that Slovakia will be approved in its bids to adopt the euro currency Jan. 1, Mladá fronta Dnes reported April 29. The EU forecasted Slovakia’s inflation rate beneath the mandatory levels required for euro adoption, all but cementing its bid. The Czech Republic, meanwhile, will be unlikely to adopt the euro until after 2012.

DIGITAL All analog broadcasting in the Czech Republic should cease by Nov. 11, 2011, according to the digital television plan approved by the Cabinet April 28. Current broadcasters (Czech Television, TV Nova and TV Prima) would receive an extra digital license in exchange for their returned analog license. Since the plan is voluntary, it hinges on endorsements from the two commercial stations, Nova and Prima.
SEZNAM Microsoft could be interested in buying Seznam, the country’s largest Internet portal, the daily Hospodářské noviny reported April 28. The paper reported that Seznam’s founder and majority owner, Ivo Lukačovič, is set to meet with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who is visiting Prague this May to give a lecture. Lukačovič denied the paper’s claims, saying he will not sell Seznam.
FEES Hoteliers will have to pay copyright fees for televisions and radios in their hotel rooms, but these fees will be lower than those first sought by the government, the Czech News Agency reported April 22. The Chamber of Deputies outvoted the Senate on the bill; the Senate had sought higher fees. Hotel owners seemed happy with the compromise.
NOVA The country’s largest private broadcaster, TV Nova, will increase its online presence by launching an entirely new Web site at TN.cz. The station’s CEO, Petr Dvořák, said that the broadcaster has already invested tens of millions of crowns in the site, including for the hiring of an editorial team for the portal. The video-heavy site is expected to be launched May 5.
BUSTED The Academy of Sciences unwittingly played host to one of the largest music piracy groups on the Internet, the IFPI said after police raided and seized a server from the academy April 23. The police said the server contained about 4 terabytes of copyright-infringing music, movies, software and games. The IFPI, which represents the record industry worldwide, found the server and filed a criminal complaint.
WEALTH The Czech Republic will likely become the first post-communist country to reach Western Europe’s prosperity levels, AFP reported April 27. The OECD predicted that the gap could be closed within 10 years, expecting that the average Czech citizen will have the same purchasing power as someone in the EU-15. The projection was based on sustained growth of 5 percent per year.
TOURISTS Some 9.4 million tourists visited the Czech Republic in 2007, up 7 percent from the previous year, according to a survey commissioned by the Regional Development Ministry. This figure is higher by 2.7 million people than data provided by the Czech Statistical Office, which only includes guests staying at hotels or similar accommodations. On average, tourists spend 2,470 Kč ($158) per day. Germans accounted for 40 percent of all visitors.

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