Machala: STVR Personnel Policy Catastrophic

Bratislava, 28 October (TASR) – No improvement has been seen in the personnel policy of Slovak Television and Radio (STVR), vice-chair of the STVR Council Lukas Machala declared during a discussion on the public broadcaster's 2026 budget draft on Tuesday. "The legislative changes that have been introduced were supposed to transform the institution and its overall approach, but nothing has changed," stated Machala, strongly criticising the broadcaster's personnel policy. "It is catastrophic for both the television and radio services. There are still people who are unfairly privileged in terms of pay, and others who are discriminated against," he stated, adding that the situation amounts to a "black hole in which millions of euros disappear". Regarding the budget draft, which the STVR Council is due to discuss at its December session, Machala demanded "a detailed breakdown for every single employee and every component of their remuneration". He argued that with 1,700 employees, "performance must improve significantly" and in-house production should be "far more substantial". Council member Igor Gallo reacted by saying that members of the STVR Council shouldn't act as personnel officers or judges of staff performance. "If someone has information about a 'black hole' or inefficient use of funds, they should report it to the relevant authorities," he said. Council member Marcel Behro noted, however, that while the council shouldn't act as a judge, it must ask questions and seek answers. "There are clearly signs and issues that we need to verify," he stated. Another council member, Juraj Staffa, said that he believes both the council and the STVR management share the same ambition to improve the quality of public broadcasting and make it more attractive. "That won't be possible without downsizing and providing higher remuneration for those who remain, however," he added. Discussing the budget outlook for next year, the STVR management noted that part of the expenditures will relate to severance payments for employees due to be laid off. It said that it was too early to specify the total amount, but it confirmed that the planned redundancies are linked to a personnel audit commissioned by new general director Martina Flasikova. mf/df