AROUND 200 Slovak artists and intellectuals called on the public to boycott the public television Slovenská televízia (STV) in protest at the development that STV has taken.
The artists asked people not to watch STV today from 20:00 to 20:15, the daily SME reported.
According to the signatories of the appeal, which include well-known actor and comedian Milan Markovic, actor Andrej Hryc, and poet Boris Filan, the STV "bears a considerable part of the responsibility for the [bad] situation in culture in Slovakia".
They also think the situation at STV is "catastrophic".
The artists and people who used to work in STV such as former news anchor Ludmila Farkašovská said that the STV had succumbed to the "dictatorship of the majority's tastes" rather than endorsing quality culture through its programming.
Employees from all TV stations in Slovakia, apart from that of STV, participated in the public discussion. The STV did not even report the gathering in its main news programme on May 26.
According to Branislav Záhradník, a member of STV’s management, people in Slovakia have a totally different view of STV from that presented by the group of artists.
He added that "it is very snobbish when a group of Bratislava intellectuals pushes through its interests".
Compiled by Martina Jurinová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
