About Us | Czech News Agency (CTK)

Who we are

CTK is a public corporation established by law. The state is not responsible for any CTK obligations and CTK is not responsible for any state obligations. CTK is not subsidized by the state.

CTK is politically and financially independent. CTK´s motto is: speed - reliability - independence.

CTK Services

The agency has an extensive network of branches in the Czech Republic and correspondents in the main centres of Europe and the USA. CTK also uses the services of world news agencies such as Reuters, AFP, AP, ITAR-TASS, DPA, ANSA and EFE. CTK cooperates with many national agencies as well.

CTK uses state-of-the-art technologies. It also provides technical services to its clients.

CTK Infobank

Is unique by its extent and the comprehensive character of the news stored. Besides all news items in the Czech and English languages, it contains extensive documentary databases, an archive of all dailies and many other periodicals issued in the Czech Republic as well as other information in textual, pictorial and audio forms.

CTK Photobank

Contains archive photos, more than 5 million photos since the 1920s. More than a million photographs are in digital form.

CTK Multimedia production

Includes news services in the Czech, Slovak and English languages, photo and audio services, video service, infographics and other services. CTK delivers to its clients an average of 600 news items, up to 400 photos, 10 videos and 50 audios a day.

CTK Videobank

Contains a complete database of all TV reports produced by CTK and also selected reports from foreign agencies. It also offers an archive of TV illustrative videos, suitable for the clients´ own production. Approximately eight to ten new reports are added daily.

CTK Council

The legal position and mission of the Czech News Agency Council The position of the Council is laid out in articles 4-8 of the Czech News Agency Law. It is a seven-member body constituted by the law for the right of the public to oversee the news agency. Its powers include oversight ensuring that CTK fulfils its mission and provides objective and comprehensive information for the free formation of opinions. The Council also rules on complaints against the agency's activities. The Council fulfils tasks that are based on its existence as the oversight body of the agency. It names and removes the Director General, decides on complaints filed against the Director General, approves the budget and the annual report as well as approves the Agency Statute on the proposal of the Director General. The Council also monitors any subsidies from the state budget should they be provided.

Council members are elected by the Chamber of Deputies for a maximum of two five-year periods.

Brief history of CTK

CTK was founded on October 28, 1918, the same day as Czechoslovakia and was called the Czechoslovak News Agency. Until the 1990s it was a state agency and its history is closely linked with that of the Czechoslovak state...