Michal Kovacic, the respected ex-presenter of Slovakia’s most popular political TV programme Na telo, which was axed in the spring by the country’s largest commercial television station Markiza, is to set up his own news outlet 360 Degrees focused on video content.   

The new venture comes amid a makeover of the Slovak media landscape and criticism of the left-right cabinet of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico for pursuing tighter control over media. 

“I am going to do what is supposed to fill that which is disappearing from televisions: critical politics, investigation, explaining of cases,” Kovacic said during a discussion about media and journalism organised by the liberal daily DennikN.

“With the name [of the new outlet] we want to accentuate that we are going against the narrative that journalists are enemies of the state,” Kovacic also said, adding that “the task of us all is to control the government regardless of whether [opposition leader Michal] Simecka is in power, or [ex-premier Mikulas ] Dzurinda, or [Prime Minister Robert] Fico, [ex-PMs Iveta] Radicova or [Igor] Matovic.”

Adel Ghannam, a former-editor of Markiza’s television news,  will be joining Kovacic at 360 Degrees, as will Barbora Sisolakova, who is leaving the restructured public broadcaster STVR after stating that her reporting story involving Minister of Environment Tomas Taraba was drastically cut. It came shortly after Sona Weissova, a lead editor for foreign news, was fired from STVR, fuelling concerns over the future shape of STVR reporting from abroad.  

Ghannam said he is leaving Markiza “for personal reasons” and “following the events from the past year”, adding that  “editors are left [standing] alone during the attacks of political power”.

Kovacic was fired from Markiza after working there for 16 years and following rows inside the television news sparked by the changes in the management by Markiza’s owners from the Prague-headquartered Czech financial group PPF.

Kovacic's sacking from Markiza followed a warned he delivered  against “Orbanisation” of the media in Slovakia in an unauthorized on-air address in May which prompted Markiza management to axe Na telo. Kovacic was backed by the majority of television employees who went on strike alert, forcing the Markiza management to enter discussions with labour unions.

“I am glad that our pressure finally forced the television to at least verbally declare that the editorial room will work freely,” Kovacic stated in June following his firing, which he said was not consulted with labour unions, and he urged “everyone to observe closely” whether media freedom is upheld at Markiza. The termination of Kovacic’s contract with Markiza came into effect on September 1.     

PPF insists it is observing rules of unbiased news reporting in its television stations, including Markiza, which it controls through Central Europe Media Enterprises (CME).

Slovak liberal journalists have been ringing alarm bells about the deteriorating media situation in Slovakia, which they say includes the political neutering of commercial stations such as Markiza and the restructuring of the public broadcaster RTVS into STVR.

Critics argue the move is aimed at tightening government control over public media, and the left-right cabinet of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico pushed ahead with the restructuring despite protests from the opposition and demonstrations in the streets of Bratislava.

Fico’s cabinet also faces criticism from international media organisations over his moves. In response to concerns over political meddling, Czech Radio suspended its long-term partnership with Slovakia’s public broadcaster, which includes sharing of reporting content from Ukraine.

PPF has faced a protest in front of its headquarters in Prague and is accused by anti-corruption activists in Slovakia of scaling down the critical news reporting in exchange for close ties with Fico’s cabinet, including obtaining new contracts for highway digital toll collection. PPF denies there is any connection between the way its running of Markiza and its other businesses in Slovakia.