The delegation was led by Senator David Smoljak, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Media. He was accompanied by Senator Břetislav Rychlík, Senator Miluše Horská, Senator Jan Tecl, and the Committee’s Secretary, Jitka Pilařová.

The first point on the programme was a meeting with Ofcom, the UK’s independent regulator, where the delegation held talks with representatives of the departments for international media policy, online safety, and public service broadcasting regulation. The discussion focused on the UK model of media regulation, the role of Ofcom, its tools for supporting information integrity, and the impact of digital transformation on the media environment.

The following day, the delegation visited the House of Lords, where they received a guided tour and held talks with Baroness Keeley, Chair of the counterpart committee, and Baroness Healy, a committee member who heads the Communications and Digital Committee. The conversation centred on UK media policy, the regulation of digital platforms, and the role of parliamentary oversight in the rapidly evolving online space.

An important part of the programme was also the visit to the BBC. Discussions covered the protection of editorial independence, public service broadcasting standards, and the BBC’s experience with changing audience media behaviour. The visit also included a tour of the newsroom, providing practical insight into the workings of one of the world’s most influential public service media organisations.

The final day was dedicated to meetings at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), where the delegation discussed international cooperation in countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). The programme also included a meeting with the Ambassador at the embassy and participation in a reception marking the presentation of credentials of the new Ambassador of the Czech Republic to London.

The visit contributed to deepening dialogue between the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom in the areas of media policy, digital space regulation, and strengthening the resilience of democratic institutions against information threats. The delegation gained valuable insights into the UK’s approach to public service broadcasting, media regulation, and the protection of information integrity, which may serve as inspiration for the further work of the Standing Senate Committee on Media.