WORLD PRESS TRENDS - World Association of Newspapers

CZECH REPUBLIC
Research
Circulation is audited by: ABC CR – Audit Bureau of Circulation
- Czech Republic, member of IF ABC.
Readership is measured by: Czech Publisher Association have been
using readership data from research Media projekt realized
before 2003 by pool of agencies GfK Praha – TN Sofres – STEM/
Mark and ordered by SKMO (SKMO – Association of
Communication and Media Organizations – units Czech
Publishers Association, Association of Communication
Agencies, Czech Radio, private radio broadcasters).
Methodology: Face-to-face questionnaires conducted on 30,000
respondents 12-79 years of age are randomly selected from a
database of all households. The questionnaire includes 70
regional and local dailies, about 30 titles of other regional and
local press and approximately 200 countrywide magazines.
Since 2003 sampling has been done four times a year.
Taxes
VAT on: sales 5% advertising 22%
newsprint 22% plant 22%
composition 22% (standard VAT rate 22%)
The tax rate on profits for newspapers is 35%, which is the same
as for all private companies.
Discounts
on: post 20-30% rail 0 telephone 0 telegraph 0 telex 0
Ownership
Does any law exist governing publishing-house ownership, or the
registration of shares in newspaper-publishing companies Yes.
Under the Press Act 46/2000, all publishers in the Czech
Republic must register their titles with the Ministry of Culture.
Is there any law prohibiting or restricting foreign companies or
individuals from owning shares, and in particular, the majority of
shares, of domestic daily newspapers No
Is there any law prohibiting daily newspaper or periodical publishers
from operating radio or television stations in the same locality The
Radio and Television Broadcasting Act 468/1991 establishes the
conditions under which broadcasting licences are granted. It
does not permit media concentration at the local, regional, or
national level.
So as to guarantee disclosure and transparency in the capital structure
and to avert silent partnerships, is there a law or rule making it possible
to determine who actually owns a publishing company All
companies may be investigated under the anti-monopoly
provisions of Law 63/1991 where mergers, cartels, monopolies,
or dominant positions exist in a sector.
Is there an antitrust law limiting concentration in the daily press
Law 23/1991, which is designed to protect economic
competition, outlines provisions for company mergers,
monopolies and market domination in each sector. It requires
mergers to be approved, and prohibits the abuse of market
dominant positions. According to this law, a firm is considered
to be in a dominant position when its production during one
calendar year accounts for at least 30% of the market of identical
or mutually substitutable products.
Is further regulation of media concentration expected New
Broadcasting (Media) Law is permanently under public
discussion.
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WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS - WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2003