Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

CNN PRIMA NEWS, ČT24 AND ÓČKO WERE ALSO THE FIRST TO GROW IN OCTOBER

Czech Television maintained its highest share of the television market in the over-15 age group in October. The Nova Group won the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups and prime time.

Czech Television stations remained the most watched group in the over-15 age group in terms of all-day viewership in October. Their share was 28.18%, up 0.7 percentage points from last October. The Prima group came a close second in this audience group, but its share with the Nova group is almost identical in this audience group. In the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups during the day and evening, as well as in prime time 15, Nova remains the market leader. This is shown by official ATO-Nielsen viewership data.

Compared to last October, the Nova group has managed to strengthen in both daytime and primetime, especially in its primary 15-54 group, where its share has increased this year. In contrast, it fell short of its last October result in the universal 15 group. In the case of Czech Television, it was the other way around: in the 15 group it slightly strengthened, while in the 15-54 group it declined. This is also true for prime-time. The Prima group also decreased its share in the younger target group 15-54 in all-day broadcasting, while it defended its result in 15 last October. In primetime, Prima Group strengthened in 15 and confirmed last October’s result in 15-54.

Televize Seznam continued its upward trend and the Óčko group also improved. The inclusion of the reality show Naked Attraction helped it to almost double in primetime (18-69).

CNN Prima News’ Jumper of the Month

Of the individual stations, CNN Prima News posted the highest year-over-year increase in October. Its share increased by 1.39 percentage points in October to 3.49%. The October parliamentary elections also helped CT24 to grow. The Czech Television news station gained 1.15 percentage points year-on-year and recorded an overall share of 5.41% (valid for CS 15 , full day). The thematic station Prima Krimi continued to grow its share in October, closing the tenth month with a share of 4.42% ( 0.65 pp).

The growing share was also confirmed by Televize Seznam, which gained 0.35 p.p. to 2.20% in October 15. TV Óčko (i.e. the main channel TV Óčko) then managed to almost triple its prime-time share in the younger 15-54 audience group thanks to the reality show Naked Attraction.

The most watched TV programmes in October were the series Octopus (ČT1) with 1.44 million viewers (episode broadcast on 20 October), Televizní noviny (Nova) with 1.14 million viewers (broadcast on 6 October) and Kriminálka Anděl (Nova) with 1.06 million viewers (20 October). All valid for CS 15 .

Source: mediaguru.cz

A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY. AMAZON BLOCKS STREAMING APPS THAT ALLOW PIRATE VIEWING OF PAID CHANNELS

Amazon has announced a major action to combat piracy. Its Fire TV media box, which until now has allowed illegal IPTV streams to be played through various third-party apps, will gradually start blocking those apps. Amazon has not even allowed the installation of similar apps through its official app store until now. However, it was possible to install apps on the device outside of this environment, and so far they have worked normally in this environment.

Amazon has stressed that it does not intend to make it completely impossible to install independent apps, but will block any apps that allow the viewing of illegal streams at the operating system level.

Amazon has gradually started blocking in the UK and German markets, and is expected to extend this measure to the US and other countries in the near future. The next steps in the UK were reported a few days ago by The Sun, which was confirmed directly by Amazon representatives.

“Piracy is illegal and we have always tried to prevent it from spreading in our app store. Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we will now block apps that have been found to provide access to pirated content, including those downloaded outside our app store. This action builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can put users at risk of malware, viruses and fraud,”

the company said in a statement to a UK newspaper.

This is the first time Amazon has taken the approach of blocking certain apps on its multimedia device.

Legitimate streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney , Amazon Prime Video, DAZN and others will understandably not be affected by this decision. According to media reports, Amazon will apparently maintain a list of problematic apps that allow unauthorized access to copyrighted content, and then refuse to install or run those apps on the Fire TV device.

Furthermore, this blocking method will ensure that users cannot access illegal content even through a VPN, as the app that allows the illegal stream to be played will itself be blocked.

Source: tvkompas.cz

CNN PRIMA NEWS BRINGS ON ITS FIRST VIRTUAL ANCHOR NORA

CNN Prima News is launching an AI News video podcast, featuring virtual presenter Nora for the first time.

CNN Prima News is launching a new video podcast , AI News, in collaboration with the Czech Association of Artificial Intelligence and Ydeal. It will also feature virtual presenter Nora for the first time ever on a multi-platform. She will offer the first on Saturday , November 1 at 2.40pm on CNN Prima News and immediately afterwards on the web and on the most widely used podcast apps. Each episode will summarize current events in the world of AI and also show the public, through examples, how to use each tool to make their work more efficient or their daily lives simpler.

“The show shows AI as a tool that both inspires and raises questions,”

said the show’s programmer Martin Blažek.

Each episode will offer, in addition to news from the world of AI, an interview with professionals in various fields, led by experts with experience in AI – Alexander Bruna from Elevaty.ai and the director of the Czech Association of Artificial Intelligence Lukáš Benzl. In the third part, virtual presenter Nora will present examples of how to make AI your helper. For example, she will show how to use Chat GPT or Gemini tools, how to write and optimize a prompt for an individual need or how to detect fraudsters and make yourself more secure with the help of AI.

Source: mediaguru.cz

KLÁRA BRACHTLOVÁ REPRESENTS CME ON THE BOARD OF ACT

Klára Brachtlová has won a position on the board of the Association of Commercial Television and Video-on-Demand Services (ACT).

Media group CME, owner of the Czech television station Nova, now has a representative on the board of the Association of European Commercial Television and Video-on-Demand Services (ACT). Klára Brachtlová, deputy CEO and director of external relations at CME, has been appointed.

Klára Brachtlová has more than 15 years of experience in managing the operations and finances of television broadcasting and oversees the operation of CME’s stations and streaming platforms in six Central and Eastern European countries. In addition to her new role at ACT, she remains a member of the Board of Directors of the Czech Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) and Vice-Chair of the Board of the State Audiovisual Fund.

ACT brings together around thirty television and streaming companies as well as holders of sports broadcasting rights. CME is the only member from the Czech Republic; other members include Paramount, Disney, AMC Networks, Canal and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Source: ACT

INDUSTRY-WIDE CALL FOR EU TO ACT ON REAL-TIME PIRACY

Some of Europe’s biggest sports leagues, broadcasters and live event operators are urging Brussels to introduce new EU rules to tackle real-time piracy of live content, warning that current measures are failing to protect revenues, audiences and public services.

In a joint letter sent to the European Commission in October, 36 organisations – including the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Sky, Canal+, DAZN, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, TF1, Disney and RTL – say piracy of live sport, entertainment and cultural events has reached “scales that can no longer be ignored” and is now driven by “organised criminal enterprises”.

The group is calling for binding legislation forcing platforms and intermediaries to take down illegal live streams within 30 minutes of notification, backed by EU-wide “live dynamic blocking orders” that can be used to block mirror sites and new domains as they appear. It also wants tougher ‘know your business customer’ checks on infrastructure providers such as hosting platforms, VPNs, CDNs and app stores, so that large-scale pirate IPTV operations cannot hide behind anonymous registrations.

The companies argue that voluntary efforts and private enforcement have been outpaced by industrialised piracy, particularly around IPTV subscriptions and streaming devices. They cite 2024 data showing that 81% of millions of detected illegal live streams in Europe were never suspended, and that fewer than 3% were removed within 30 minutes of a takedown notice. They say data from the first half of 2025 shows “no improvement”.

They also set out the economic hit. According to the signatories, estimated annual losses to rightsholders are €2.2 billion in Italy, €1.8 billion in Germany and €1.5 billion in France. The letter argues that piracy drains tax revenues and exposes viewers to malware, data theft and inappropriate content – often without parental controls.

The appeal is addressed to Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Internal Market Commissioner Glenn Micallef, as the Commission considers its next move after a 2023 Recommendation on combating online piracy of live sports and other events. That Recommendation pushed for faster removals and better coordination but was non-binding. The group says implementation “has yet to deliver tangible results” and is now asking for legislation.

Specifically, they want three measures written into EU law:

A hard deadline for removals: illegal live streams should be taken down “as near to immediately as is possible and in all cases within a maximum time frame of 30 minutes”, arguing that most of the commercial value of sport and live events is in-the-moment and that faster takedown is technically possible.
EU-wide dynamic blocking orders, including IP blocking, available in every Member State to act quickly against mirror and successor sites.
Mandatory and enforced Know Your Business Customer rules for intermediaries.

They are also calling for stricter enforcement of the Digital Services Act, and for national Digital Services Coordinators to grant “Trusted Flagger” status to industry bodies so that pirate streams can be escalated and removed more quickly.

The signatories – spanning football leagues, pan-European competitions, pay TV groups, streaming platforms, venue operators, anti-piracy vendors and unions – frame the issue as more than a pay TV problem. They say live piracy now threatens jobs, grassroots sport investment, production funding and future rights values across Europe, and warn that rightsholders “must not be left to confront the growing threat of live piracy on their own”.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

STRATEGIC SHIFT TO REALITY SHOWS HAS TV ÓČKO BRING NEW REVENUE

The fundamental step of Óčko TV is to reorient the programme offer to ensure higher viewership and new revenues from the sale of advertising time.

The strategic change of the programming offer towards reality show formats is one of the steps taken by Óčko to improve its economic results. In addition, it is taking cost-saving measures, especially in the area of overheads, increasing its online and social media reach and seeking to monetise it more effectively. This is according to the annual report of the operator of Óčko TV, for 2024.

Although Óčko managed to stabilise the viewership of its linear TV channels in autumn 2024, its financial results remained loss-making last year. Last year’s loss amounted to CZK 13.4 million. CZK 11.3 million in 2023 and revenues from the sale of products and services decreased by 25% year-on-year to CZK 96.9 million in 2024. CZK. Key revenues from the sale of advertising time fell by CZK 35.4 million year-on-year. CZK. This decline, according to the company’s management, “was unfortunately complemented by the negative development of the direct business, which also lost sales year-on-year.”

This year’s bet on the domestic version of the reality show Naked Attraction thus proves to be the right move in terms of viewership. To date, the first three episodes have been watched on TV Óčko by an average of 164 thousand viewers over 15 years of age, with a share of 7% (9% in CS 18-69). This is several times higher than the average viewership of TV Óčko and Naked Attraction is by far the most watched October show on Óčko. As expected, the show is even more popular with younger viewers, specifically in the 15-24 audience group, with a 28% share of the audience (source: ATO-Nielsen).

The follow-up programme One Blade Naked: Second Chance, with which the Philips brand has teamed up, is also above average in terms of viewership, with a share of over 6% (CS 18-69).

Although the foreign versions of Naked Attraction do not achieve the same viewership as the local editions, their viewership on Óček is also higher than that of the classical music programmes.

The management of Stanice O estimates that the implemented measures will lead to an improvement in the company’s performance. They believe that Óčko will “strengthen both the viewership of classical television broadcasts and performance on social networks and secure additional revenues from the sale of advertising space”. The reorientation of the programming offer is a crucial step in this effort.

Source: mediaguru.cz

STUDY: AI ASSISTANTS DISTORT NEWS IN ALMOST HALF OF CASES

As many as 45% of AI assistants’ responses contained serious errors in their output when dealing with intelligence information. This is according to a study by the EBU and BBC.

New research coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC has revealed that AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or Perplexity distort news content. The study involved 22 public service media from 18 countries, including Czech Radio. Journalists from the participating public media outlets examined more than 3,000 responses from AI tools in 14 languages. Four key criteria guided their evaluation: accuracy, sourcing, differentiation of opinion and facts , and contextualization. The research uncovered a number of systemic issues across the four leading AI assistants.

“The results show that nearly half of the responses – 45% to be exact – contained at least one major error. The most common issue was insufficient or misleading sourcing, which appeared in 31% of responses. In one fifth of cases, there were factual inaccuracies, including hallucinations or outdated information,” Martina Májíček Poliaková, Director of Strategic Development at Czech Radio, describes the results of the study. According to the study, the worst performing tool was Gemini, where the evaluators noted serious errors in 76% of the responses, mostly due to misquoting and unprovable statements. Although there has been a partial improvement from the previous phase of the BBC survey, the overall error rate remains high and worrying.

“These are not exceptions – they are systemic failures that transcend national boundaries and threaten public confidence. When people don’t know what to trust, they often stop trusting altogether, and this can undermine the very foundations of a democratic society,” said Jean Philip De Tender, EBU Director of Media and Deputy Director General.

Key findings

45% of responses had at least one major error.
31% contained problems with citing sources – including false, misleading or non-existent references.
20% had factual inaccuracies, often called hallucinations or outdated information.
Gemini failed in 76% of responses, mainly due to misquoting and unverifiable statements.

Compared to the previous phase of BBC research, there has been some improvement, but error levels remain worryingly high

Accuracy and facts first

From the perspective of the public service media, representatives say it is crucial that AI assistants’ responses to news queries are first and foremost accurate, free of factual errors, hallucinations or misattributed statements. Transparency is also key – every answer should be based on clearly stated and verifiable sources. Assistants must be able to distinguish facts from opinions and not introduce hidden or unstated interpretations into the text. Developers should also pay particular attention to providing context, especially for complex or controversial topics where there is a risk of simplifying or omitting important information. The whole process should be under regular and independent scrutiny, with opportunities for feedback from the media and the public, and with clear rules for continuous improvement of the output.

“Public service media must be at the forefront of the fight for credible information. Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but according to this study, it also has major limitations. We approach reporting with the utmost care, verifying facts and working with sources according to clearly defined rules. But when processed by AI assistants, the result can be a narrative that does not honor the same principles of quality journalism. That is why it is our duty to protect the public from distortions and misinformation, regardless of the tool that spreads it,” adds René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio.

The EBU therefore believes that AI responses need to be regularly and independently tested, as one-off analyses are not enough. It is equally important to have an early warning system that can quickly detect when AI tools start to spread biased outputs. But none of these steps can be effective without collaboration. AI companies, regulators and the media must work together.

Czech Radio’s experience

AI assistants’ performances in the Czech environment have shown recurring mistakes, ranging from the use of untrustworthy websites to the misinterpretation of laws or politicians’ opinions, see examples:

Distortion / shift of meaning

Perplexity claimed that surrogacy is prohibited by law in the Czech Republic. In fact, it is neither explicitly allowed nor prohibited – Czech law does not regulate it.

Use of disinformation sources

Both ChatGPT and Copilot drew key information in the example from the website prvnizpravy.cz, which was designated by military intelligence as a pro-Russian disinformation channel and blocked by some internet providers after the invasion of Ukraine.

Mistaking opinion for fact

Copilot in reply to “What is NATO doing?” cited as fact a statement that came from an interview with politician Alexander Vondra. The AI transformed it into a generally valid fact, making the answer misleading.

Silencing counterclaims

Copilot answered the question “What does China export?” based on a radio debate where two opinions are expressed (CRo Plus, Pro and Con) – but AI only included one, leaving out the other entirely. This distorted the tone of the whole issue.

EBU challenge

The EBU calls for immediate action from all key players in the digital and media space:

Technology companies should immediately adjust the way their assistants respond to news enquiries. They have a News Integrity Toolkit that outlines specific requirements for quality, accuracy and working with sources.
Regulators and legislators should ensure that rules to protect information integrity are consistently applied in the AI environment. At the same time, public media literacy needs to be strengthened to help people navigate new technologies.
The news media have an indispensable role to play in monitoring developments, detecting risks and informing the public. Their voice is key to ensuring that technology serves the public interest – and not the other way around.

According to the Digital News Report 2025 (Reuters Institute), 7% of online news users use AI assistants, and the figure is as high as 15% among the under-25s.

The full study is available at this link: Report EBU MIS BBC

Source: mediaguru.cz

UEFA JOINS ACE TO BOLSTER LIVE SPORTS ANIT-PIRACY

UEFA has become the first exclusive sports rights-holder to join the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), deepening cross-sector efforts to disrupt illegal live streaming worldwide.

The move positions UEFA and UC3 – the body commercialising UEFA club competition rights – at the forefront of coordinated global enforcement.

UEFA will participate in ACE’s Live Tier, which targets sports piracy through real-time intelligence, takedowns and cooperation with law enforcement. ACE, led by the Motion Picture Association, now counts more than 50 entertainment companies among its members.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s executive director of marketing, said the partnership expands UEFA’s enforcement capabilities and leverages ACE’s tools to disrupt illegal services. MPA and ACE chair Charles Rivkin said UEFA’s membership strengthens efforts to detect, deter and dismantle piracy affecting broadcasters and fans.

UEFA and UC3 said protecting media-rights revenue remains essential to funding professional and grassroots football across Europe.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

DAZN PURSUES ITALIAN IPTV USERS WITH COMPENSATION CLAIMS AS PIRACY CRACKDOWN ESCALATES

Italian authorities have intensified their clampdown on illegal IPTV use, with DAZN, Sky Italia, and Serie A preparing to seek compensation from thousands of viewers identified during recent anti-piracy operations.

More than 2,000 users have now received registered letters from DAZN demanding €500 in damages following a major investigation by the Guardia di Finanza, which uncovered large-scale use of illegal IPTV platforms – known locally as pezzotto – offering access to premium sports and entertainment content for as little as €10 to €15 per month.

The letters, sent on 26 September, invite recipients to settle out of court within seven days or face potential legal action. The approach marks a new phase in Italy’s coordinated crackdown on piracy, shifting enforcement beyond operators and distributors to include end users.

DAZN’s action follows approval from prosecutors in Lecce, who authorised rights holders to access the list of fined users after an earlier nationwide operation identified 2,282 individuals across 80 provinces. The investigation traced more than €500,000 in proceeds from illegal subscriptions, leading to the seizure of properties, cars and cash.

Authorities say the losses to Italy’s economy from audiovisual piracy exceed €2 billion annually, impacting jobs, tax revenue and football club finances.

Broadcast regulator AGCOM Commissioner Massimiliano Capitanio confirmed to local media that Sky Italia and the football leagues are preparing similar measures, calling DAZN’s letters “only the beginning” of broader industry enforcement.

The initial fines issued by authorities start at €154, but repeat offenders face penalties up to €5,000 under Italy’s copyright law, in addition to any civil claims pursued by rights holders.

The original Guardia di Finanza operation, led by Rome’s Special Unit for Goods and Services and the Economic and Financial Police Unit in Lecce, dismantled a network that distributed pirated feeds from DAZN, Sky, Netflix and other pay-TV platforms.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

43% OF SPANISH FOOTBALL FANS ADMIT TO PIRACY, SAYS MOVISTAR

Movistar Plus+ says almost half of Spanish football viewers are now watching matches illegally, warning that piracy has become “socially accepted” and calling for tougher laws to protect sports rights.

Chief executive Daniel Domenjó told Spanish media that 43% of football fans in the country pirate live games, undermining the economic model that sustains premium sports coverage. He said the current legal framework was too weak to act as a deterrent, urging the government to strengthen legislation against online piracy.

Speaking at a recent event in Madrid, Domenjó described illicit viewing as being “socially well regarded” in Spain — a cultural problem that, he argued, normalises theft of content and erodes the value of media rights.

Movistar, which holds key broadcast rights for LaLiga and UEFA competitions, is in talks with football authorities to step up action against the pirates. The operator also wants to expand its offer beyond live matches, developing more documentaries and sports-related entertainment to reduce dependence on match rights.

The company says its findings highlight the scale of the challenge faced by rights holders and broadcasters as illegal IPTV services continue to thrive despite enforcement efforts.

Movistar has joined calls from LaLiga for a coordinated crackdown on piracy across Spain’s digital platforms.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

MULTICHOICE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT SIGNAL PIRACY

MultiChoice Zimbabwe has launched a new campaign, DStv ZIMnandi, aimed at curbing cross-border signal piracy and encouraging viewers to switch to locally licensed subscriptions.

Unveiled in Bulawayo, the campaign carries the slogan “Keep it simple, keep it legal. DStv ZIMnandi.” It targets Zimbabwean households using South African DStv accounts — a practice the company says breaches copyright and undermines the domestic broadcasting sector.

As part of the initiative, MultiChoice is offering incentives for customers to migrate to legal Zimbabwean accounts, including a waiver of reconnection fees and expanded payment options through local agents, banks and mobile money platforms such as EcoCash and Mukuru.

The operator says subscribing locally helps fund national content creation and supports Zimbabwe’s television ecosystem by ensuring revenues stay within the country.

DStv ZIMnandi is being rolled out as a multi-channel media campaign, with radio, outdoor and digital promotion across Zimbabwe.

The move forms part of a wider anti-piracy push across southern Africa as MultiChoice seeks to protect its subscription base and clamp down on unauthorised account sharing and illegal IPTV services.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

TV SEPTEMBER WAS WON BY NOVA, THE SHOW OF THE MONTH OCTOPUS

In September, the Nova TV group recorded the highest audience shares in all critical audience groups.

The Nova Group achieved the highest shares in both full-day and prime-time broadcasting in all key audience groups 15 , 15-54 and 18-69 in September. In the broader 15 group, its full-day audience share was 28.45%. This is according to official ATO-Nielsen viewership data. At the same time, the new channel performed the best among the strong three in the all-day telecast year-on-year.

However, the margins in the universal Group 15 are not large within the strongest domestic top three. The Nova group has a share almost 0.6 percentage points higher than Czech Television (27.88%). The Prima group is only 0.4 percentage points behind Czech Television (27.46%). In the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups, the gap between Nova and the number two, which is the Prima group in these target groups, is larger.

Nova also held prime time in September despite a year-on-year decline in share. Czech Television followed with a year-on-year higher share in prime-time in 15, while Prima was the number two in 15-54 and 18-69, and improved the most in prime-time in the 15 group of all the entities monitored. Prima also had a better result in prime-time in the 18-69 group than last September.

Televize Seznam continued to grow in September, moving over 2% in 15 and improving 0.44pts to 2.19% in its primetime 18-69 group. And Atmedia‘s representation of thematic stations also had a higher share in September.