03-04-2014

TVP Reins in Losses

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    WARSAW: Polish public broadcaster had a deficit of 20.5 m PLN in 2013, a substantial decrease from 2012.

    "TVP will close 2013 with a result that is 200 m PLN better than the last year. It is a very significant increase in results, even though a little part remains in the negative, it is a result of a successful restructuring. We expect that TVP will continue this process, while ensuring its mission on a suitable level and achieving positive results," said Rafał Baniak, the vice-minister of Treasury, in an official statement.

    The Polish broadcaster announced that the annual result for 2013 would have been balanced if part of the income from the subscriber fees (40 m PLN) from December 2013 had not been counted as part of the 2014 income. The overall income from the subscriber fees for 2013 is 282.4 m PLN, an increase of 28.5 m PLN from 2012. The income from advertising and sponsoring for 2013 was 864 m PLN which was 9% lower than in 2012. The operational costs for the broadcaster were 1,460 m PLN, which is 66 m PLN less than the year before.

    The restructuring cut employee salaries by 10 m PLN and the expenses at local branches of the station by 18 m PLN. TVP fired 70 full time workers in 2013.

    In 2013 Polish public television successfully completed the analogue-switch off and went fully digital. TVP launched TVP Regionalna, a channel focused on local communities and their needs.