Vladimír Železný
| Vladimír Železný | |
|---|---|
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Senator of the Czech Republic (Znojmo circuit) |
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In office 2002–2004 |
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| Preceded by | Milan Špaček |
| Succeeded by | Milan Špaček |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
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In office 2004–2009 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
13 March 1945 Samara, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Political party |
Libertas.cz (2009- ) Independent Democrats (Czech Republic) (2004-2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Marta Železná-Davouze Konstancie Železná |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Alma mater | Charles University |
| Profession | Publicist |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Website | [2] |
Vladimír Železný (born 3 March 1945 in Samara, Soviet Union) is a media businessman and politician in the Czech Republic. He was the first CEO of TV NOVA, a popular Czech television station and was a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009. As a media mogul with political influence, he has been compared to Rupert Murdoch and Silvio Berlusconi.
Born to a Jewish family, Železný made headlines in 1968, at the age of 23, when he broadcast in defiance of orders pictures of Russian tanks driving through Prague during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In 1993 he applied with five others for a license to broadcast a private television channel to show classical music, cultural programmes and current affairs. He obtained a €140m investment from the American firm, Central European Media Enterprises (CME) to fund the enterprise. Due to the Czech Media Council's rules against foreign ownership, the license was granted to a company controlled by Železný - CET21 - which, with the legal assistance of Miroslav Šipovič signed a licensing agreement with a joint venture partly owned by CME. In February 1994 he launched TV NOVA which became the most popular network, although it was criticised as undermining the cultural tradition of Czechs.
In 1999 CET21 terminated the licensing agreement, effectively seizing control of the station and making CME's investment worthless. Subsequently some 20 suits started in front of the Czech courts and international tribunals. While the CME (at the time incorporated in Netherlands and controlled by American national Ronald Lauder) started UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings against the Czech Republic (in ) under the Bilateral investment treaty between the Czech Republic and Netherlands, Ronald Lauder himself started UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings against the Czech Republic (in London) under the Bilateral investment treaty between the Czech Republic and the United States. While the London tribunal dismissed the claim by Lauder, the Stockholm tribunal, effectively dealing with the same issue, found the Czech Republic liable for not protecting the CME's investment in the Czech Republic and awarded CME damages of $270 million, which were eventually paid from taxpayers' money. Under a different arbitration award, Železný was to pay damages of $23 million. CME also eventually regained control of the channel.
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