In a closed-door vote criticised for its lack of transparency, Slovakia’s public broadcaster STVR has appointed television producer Martina Flašíková—daughter of influential political strategist and Smer party co-founder Fedor Flašík—as its new director for a six-year term. Flašíková’s public statements reject what she describes as a “naive fight for truth and love” in journalism—language that stands in direct opposition to the legacy of former Czechoslovak president Václav Havel, whose democratic vision centred on those very ideals. Her appointment follows not only her recent rise to STVR programme head but also her leadership of eReport, a website classified by Slovak disinformation watchdog Konšpirátori as a high-risk outlet for spreading Kremlin-aligned propaganda, health-related falsehoods, and ethically compromised political content. The platform has long provided uncritical coverage of Prime Minister Robert Fico and his party Smer-SD, to which Flašíková maintains direct familial and ideological ties. Flašíková’s elevation comes amid growing concern over government influence on public media, and marks the rejection of interim director Igor Slanina, whose editorial neutrality and refusal to purge critical newsroom staff reportedly alienated ruling parties. Her strategic plan for STVR calls for reshaping the broadcaster into a vehicle for “strategic state communication” and proposes reforms that could further centralise control over national news output—raising alarms among press freedom advocates at a time when Slovakia’s media landscape faces intensifying political pressure.
The Slovak Television and Radio Council (STVR) has appointed television producer Martina Flašíková as director of Slovakia’s public broadcaster for a six-year term. She was elected with seven of nine votes in a closed process that excluded media and public access, prompting criticism from opposition parties and civil society. Council Chair Jozef Krošlák rejected a proposal for discussion ahead of voting, citing the risk of influencing opinions. According to SME, the votes in Flašíková’s favour came from coalition-aligned members.
Flašíková, previously head of STVR’s television programming, is the daughter of Fedor Flašík, a political marketer and co-founder of the Smer party. After his death in April 2024, she became chair of New Story Media, owner of the news and entertainment platform eReport. The site, created by Flašík in 2020, mixes political content with lifestyle features.
According to Konšpirátori, an independent Slovak watchdog that assesses disinformation risks, eReport meets multiple criteria for classification as a disinformation outlet. The project, backed by expert evaluators, cited eReport for publishing false claims, failing to issue corrections, promoting conspiracy theories, and blurring news and commentary. It has amplified pro-Kremlin narratives, republished unverified posts from Smer MEP Ľuboš Blaha, and aired uncritical interviews with public figures spreading vaccine misinformation. The media watchdog Omédiách.com also reported that the site disproportionately platforms politicians from Smer, Hlas, and the Slovak National Party (SNS). Flašíková has not addressed the site’s editorial stance, and the issue was not raised during her Council hearing.
Flašíková’s production work includes Pumpa, a satirical show that drew political backlash in 2020 for an episode referencing the death of former police chief Milan Lučanský. She told the Council the aim was not to offend and that her team received threats following the broadcast.
In her 80-page plan, Point Zero, Flašíková described STVR as inefficient, overstaffed, poorly watched, and lacking editorial identity. She opposed “moralistic activism” in public media, advocating instead for a pluralistic model supporting “many truths” and strategic state communication. Her proposals include reforming the 24-hour news channel :24, expanding regional and international reporting, launching a streaming platform (STVR Play), and creating a centralised National News System with the state press agency TASR—though she admitted TASR has not agreed to participate.
To address low viewership, she linked STVR’s weak ratings to poor lead-in programming, contrasting its “trustworthy” news with the higher-rated but “less credible” output of private channel Markíza. She proposed stronger primetime scheduling, while offering only general suggestions—such as documentaries, historical dramas, and scripted content—for making Jednotka, STVR’s main channel, a market leader.
Her plan leaves open the possibility of closing the sports channel, citing its €8.8 million annual cost and limited access to major broadcast rights. She suggested reallocating the funds unless a public consensus emerged to retain the channel. She also pledged to raise Slovak Radio’s daily audience share by 10 percentage points within two years, a goal Council member Igor Gallo called unrealistic. Flašíková acknowledged the difficulty but insisted on aiming for growth. She also proposed restoring STVR’s funding to 0.17% of GDP, reversing a recent cut to 0.12% that removed €55 million from the budget.
Her rival, interim director Igor Slanina, had led STVR since July 2023 and was initially expected to be confirmed. His 74-page submission focused on editorial neutrality, civic education, and balanced political reporting. He proposed reviving Monday-night cultural programming, maintaining the sports channel’s 2,000-hour obligation, and launching a third station for children’s and archival content, modelled after Czech public television.
Slanina cited a Komentáre special on COVID-19—where vaccine sceptics and experts debated under neutral moderation—as a model of editorial balance. He also planned an internal analytics unit to strengthen coverage of domestic and international affairs. However, his refusal to restructure the newsroom, including retaining staff seen as problematic by ruling parties, was viewed as a liability.
According to SME and Denník N, SNS MP Roman Michelko and former Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer suggested that Council members preferred a candidate more aligned with the coalition’s expectations. Though Slanina’s proposal was comprehensive, his cautious leadership style ultimately weakened his position in a politically charged selection process.
Source:
Dušan Mikušovič and Lucia Osvaldová | Denník N
Daniela Hajčáková | SME.SK
