The conference is organised by the Association of Czech Advertising Agencies and Marketing Communication (AČRA MK) with the support of partners and under the patronage of Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř, the Czech Telecommunications Office, the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting, the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Czech Television. “We have decided to open this year’s event with a session dedicated to the funding of public service media, moderated by Daniel Stach. This is a topic that affects society as a whole,” says Pavel Brabec, President of AČRA MK.
Finnish experience with public service media funding
In addition to representatives from Czech Television and Czech Radio, the discussion on the future of public service media will also be attended by Marit af Björkesten, Director General of the Finnish public broadcaster Yleisradio (YLE). Invited to the discussion are Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motoristé sobě), his predecessor Martin Baxa (ODS), Patrik Nacher (Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies), Ondřej Babka (ANO), Deputy Chair of the Chamber of Deputies’ Media Committee, and David Smoljak, Chair of the Senate Committee on the Media.
Representatives of the commercial media have also been invited: Marek Singer, President of the Association of Commercial Television Stations, and Jiří Hrabák, Chairman of the Association of Private Broadcasters. Marek Maďarič, former Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic, will share his experience with the introduction of the so-called ‘plug-in law’. “The DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference is taking place at a time when the government is preparing an amendment to the law that will fundamentally transform the funding of public service media. There has been no wider public debate on this proposal so far. We want to change that,” adds Pavel Brabec.
Does Oneplay rule them all? How streaming is transforming the television market
The session on television broadcasting and streaming services will focus on the transformation of distribution platforms. IPTV has already overtaken traditional antenna reception in the Czech Republic. What does this mean for network operators and television station operators? The conference will also address the issue of the concentration of sports rights, following the move of most premium sports content to the Oneplay service, which is both a competitor and a partner to television broadcasters.
Discussions will also focus on the future of linear television in the era of video-on-demand and the advent of 5G Broadcast technology. Will a viable business model be found for it? Attention will also be given to the topic of audience measurement, which this year has expanded to include viewing outside the home. What impact does this have on the television advertising market? Is measurement shifting from people meters to big data?
AI and digital radio
A separate session will focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on media houses. Some European media groups have already announced extensive restructuring. Is this the beginning of a deeper transformation of the entire sector? How is AI changing media strategies? How can content be protected against unauthorised use? And are we facing a fundamental transformation of the internet as we know it today? The conference will also highlight specific examples of AI usage, such as in the fight against fraud, and will explore the impact of AI on media security, infrastructure and the economy.
Two years after the auction of frequencies for digital radio, the market is gradually changing. What impact are the new networks having on the market structure and its economy? The discussion will also focus on audience measurement, which now utilises audio matching via mobile apps. Is this a fundamental shift, or a source of further uncertainty? Currently, only one in five households has digital radio. How can this trend be reversed, and what will the future of radio broadcasting look like in the face of competition from streaming services?
The partners of the 21st DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference are Czech Television, Czech Radio, the Czech Telecommunications Office, České Radiokomunikace, the Association of Mobile Network Operators, the Association of Communication Agencies and others. The media partners are Averia, Marketing & Media magazine and the websites MediaGuru.cz and Televizniweb.cz.
A detailed programme, list of speakers and registration are available at www.acra-mk.cz.
Source: mam.cz