The Polish Media Council adopted a resolution on the activities of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski

“Maciej Świrski's recent decisions and statements aimed at the editorial offices of TOK FM and TVN24 as independent commercial broadcasters are part of the long-term and consistent activity of the Chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, which violates freedom of speech, the democratic order of the rule of law, limits citizens' right to information and constitutes a threat to the conduct of activities of independent broadcasters,” RPM reported in a resolution on the activities of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council.

As we read in the statement, Świrski's actions also indicate “a stark contrast to his attitude and lack of reaction to the open violation of the law and journalistic standards by the politicized public media in previous years.”

RPM reminds that the head of KRRIT himself decided on the amount and enforcement of penalties against independent editorial offices, regardless of the ongoing appeal proceedings, which constitutes a clear violation of the law. “All independently operating editorial offices may face such harassment in the future,” adds RPM.

“We would like to remind you that, in accordance with the Constitution, the National Broadcasting Council protects freedom of speech, the right to information and the public interest, and not the beliefs of the Chairman and the interests of the political environment with which he is associated,” RPM concluded.

At the beginning of March this year. Chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski, accused TVN SA of violating Art. 18 section 1 and 2 of the Broadcasting Act by broadcasting the report “Franciszkańska 3” and therefore decided to impose a financial sanction in the amount of PLN 550,000. zloty. In the justification, he accused the editors of, among other things, lack of objectivity and “a narrative tailored to the thesis presented earlier.”

On Wednesday, March 17, the National Broadcasting Council announced that PLN 550,000 had been transferred to its account. PLN recovered from TVN by the tax office. The money was collected despite the station filing an appeal against the decision of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski, on March 6 to impose a fine, which was publicly announced on April 12.

The head of the National Broadcasting Council recently made a similar decision to “submit a budget receivable in the form of a penalty” in the amount of PLN 88,000 for collection by the Tax Office. PLN from TOK FM radio. Świrski imposed a fine on TOK FM at the end of January for the content of five programs, justifying that they included “expressions that insulted, degraded and violated the dignity of the most important people in the state, including the President of the Republic of Poland.”

See also: “An incompetent and devoid of good will official.” A call to “remove excessive power”

The chairman of the National Broadcasting Council is Maciej Świrski. He was appointed to this position by the Sejm on September 15, 2022, i.e. during the previous parliamentary term