POLAND
I.
Digital TV conflict has international aspect, official
says.
Boleslaw Sulik, the outgoing chairman of the National
Radio and TV Broadcasting Council [KRRiTV] said [on 22nd
April] that controversy over two digital platforms
operating in Poland: Wizja TV and Cyfra+ should be
viewed in the context of an international
American-European conflict.
The American Wizja TV broadcasts its programmes from
London on the basis of an agreement on transborder
television which was ratified by Poland.
Cyfra+ digital platform is created chiefly by the French
Canal+.
Controversy between the two started last autumn and
continues to this day. It is believed that KRRiTV
supports Cyfra+ and the government is in favour of
Wizja.
Opponents of Wizja say that it broadcasts illegally and
has no obligations to support Polish film industry
required by the Polish licence holders. Opponents
of Cyfra+ claim that it lacked necessary official
technical certification and had no permit to broadcast
other TV stations’ programmes than its own.
Sulik told a press conference that the American-European
context of the conflict is ignored in Poland. He
claimed that a majority of the decisions concerning
digital platforms were made from the point of view of
current political interests.
Sulik referred to KRRiTV’s meeting at the Prime
Minister’s Chancellery last week, at which the
possibility of joining by two Polish public channels
(TVP) of the Cyfra+ platform was discussed. The
government side stressed that such decision is of
strategic importance and therefore should be consulted
with the prime minister.
PAP
news agency, Warsaw, April 22, 1999
II.
KRRiTV chairman seeks less restrictive media laws.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski [on 6th April] spoke
with Polish Radio and TV Council (KRRiTV) head Boleslaw
Sulik, who presented the president with an annual
progress report on Poland’s TV and media
market.
The report is also a final summary of the present TV
council’s (and Sulik’s) office term.
Sulik said that Poland already had the basic structures
of a modern media economy but will have to develop faster
to compete on the growing digital market. He
stressed that Poland has become increasingly attractive
to foreign broadcasting corporations and should therefore
change its over-restrictive media laws.
Sulik complained to the president that to date
cooperation between the Radio & TV Council and the
government had not been satisfactory, and voiced hopes
for improvements in this sphere.
Accepting Sulik’s report, Kwasniewski said he was
sure the TV council had drawn the right conclusions for
the future development of media communications in
Poland.
PAP
news agency, Warsaw, April 6, 1999
III.
President vetoes amendments to radio, TV act.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski vetoed the amended law
on radio and television on [25th March].
The decision has been caused by “imprecise”
statements included in the law as they may “arouse
doubts,” presidential lawyer Ryszard Kalisz said and
added that the amendments are incompatible with the
European Union law.
The president questioned the amendment under which no
commercials advertising products for children can be
broadcast. He also questioned the amendment
according to which supervisory boards of public radio and
television can be recalled before their term of office
expires when the treasury minister does not approve their
annual reports.
This can result in breaking the principle of functioning
of public media which is based on their open and clear
nature and their independence from the authorities.
PAP
news agency, Warsaw, March 25, 1999
IV.
President to veto amendments to broadcasting law.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski will veto the amended
law on radio and television, the Presidential Chancellery
reported on [23rd March].
The decision has been caused by “imprecise”
statements included in the law as they may “arouse
doubts.” According to presidential
lawyer Ryszard Kalisz, the amendments are incompatible
with European Union law.
On 4th March the Sejm [lower house of parliament] passed
amendments to the law on radio and television under which
films can be interrupted by commercials on commercial
stations but no commercials advertising products for
children can be broadcast. Deputies also resolved
that a unanimous decision of the Sejm, Senate [upper
house of parliament] and president is needed to recall
the National Radio and Television Broadcasting Council
[KRRiTV—supervisory and watchdog body].
PAP news agency, Warsaw, March 23,
1999
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