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Poland's media regulator to present 'plan to fix state media' to president, gov't

29.12.2023 16:00
Poland's president has met with officials from the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV) to discuss the government's decision to liquidate state media as a step towards "restoring their impartiality," and the regulator pledged to present the head of state and the government with "proposed measures to fix" the country's public broadcasters. 
Polish President Andrzej Duda (first from right) meets officials from the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV) at the presidential palace in Warsaw, on Friday, December 29, 2023.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (first from right) meets officials from the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV) at the presidential palace in Warsaw, on Friday, December 29, 2023.KPRP/Jakub Szymczuk

President Andrzej Duda hosted the KRRiTV administrators in the presidential palace on Friday.

The meeting took place at the request of the media regulator, according to officials.

Afterwards, the head of state's chief of staff Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych said KRRiTV officials had "outlined their view on the situation in state media."

She added conclusions from the talks were that "public media must be remedied with immediate effect."

Ignaczak-Bandych said the president and KRRiTV members had agreed that "in line with its constitutional role," KRRiTV would prepare measures to remedy state media and "present them to the president and the Council of Ministers."

On December 20, Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government's replaced the CEO's of state media in a move it said was designed to "restore impartiality" of public broadcasters and "public order," while the president said the measure "breached the constitution." 

On December 27, Culture Minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz announced he had put Poland's state media "in liquidation" to ensure that the companies "can continue to function, undergo the necessary restructuring and avoid having to dismiss staff," following the president's veto against an EUR 692 million grant to state media in 2024, according to officials.

On the basis of this decision, the government appointed administrators to run the state TV broadcaster TVP, Polish Radio and Polish Press Agency PAP, Radio Zet reported. 

KRRiTV on Thursday said the Cabinet's decision to liquidate state media companies was "illegal," adding it had reported the measure to the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA).

Deputy Culture Minister Bożena Żelazowska said on Thursday the decision to liquidate state media was designed to restructure public broadcasters, in order to "restore their public character" as a source of "credible information for the public," Polish Radio's IAR news agency reported.   

Source: prezydent.plwnp.pl