Slovakia’s only all-news TV channel, TA3, has a new director. The current head of printing company Slovenská Grafia, Martin Ilavský, will take over from Michal Gučík after the latter's 15 months at the helm of TA3, the TASR newswire reported, citing the O médiách (About the media) blog and Gučík himself on Tuesday, March 27.
Gučík said he had decided to leave the channel of his own volition. "I've made good on my ambitions and goals, and I'm moving on," he said, noting that he had received several job offers, including from abroad, and did not rule out another stint in the media. In this connection, he declined to comment on speculation that he would join public broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS). Ilavský praised TA3's current graphics, programmes and increasing viewing figures and heralded no major changes in these areas.
Gučík took up the post of TA3 general director on January 1, 2011. During his tenure, the channel introduced major changes to its graphics and studios. TA3 also recorded improved viewing figures during the recent general election. The channel went through personnel changes when a number of reporters including both its head of news and his deputy – Richard Direr and Nora Gubková, respectively – handed in their notices. Gučík also made headlines after it was revealed that, along with journalists on the Pravda daily, he had had his phone tapped by the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS) counterintelligence agency.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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