24-06-2010

Polish National Broadcasting Council dissolved

By Katarzyna Grynienko
    Bronisław Komorski, the acting President of Poland, in accord with the parliament and senate rejected the 2009 annual report of the National Broadcasting Council ( KRRiT, www.krrit.gov.pl) for 2009, thus confirming the dissolution of the Council. The members of KRRiT will stay in their posts until their successors are chosen.

    The Council has long been a controversial issue in Poland. along with the role of politics in creating a free media. The long awaited amendment to the Polish media bill is one of the most important points in this year's presidential elections. Komorowski, currently running for president, said the government will start working of an amendment of the media bill. This will be the third attempt to modernize the Polish media, with the first two amendments failing to pass.

    The new bill reduces the role of the government over Polish public television TVP (www.tvp.pl) and Polish Radio (www.polskieradio.pl). The success of this amendment would mean dissolution of all current boards and councils in the public media. The biggest change in the media bill would be in choosing members for these organizations through an open competition, and decreasng the size of the boards.