On Friday, the Sejm commissioned the Supreme Audit Office to conduct an audit of the National Broadcasting Council. – This is something that has been used for the second time in 30 years of the parliament's activity – commented Mirosław Suchoń (Polska 2050) in “#BezKitu”. Krzysztof Kwiatkowski (KO) assessed that the president of the Supreme Audit Office, Marian Banaś, “has an easier task” in this matter. Minister of Science and Higher Education Dariusz Wieczorek (Left) spoke about the availability of academics and the future of the Collegium Humanum.
The Sejm adopted a resolution on Friday to commission the Supreme Audit Office to conduct an audit of the activities of the National Broadcasting Council “within the scope of implementing the constitutional and statutory obligations to safeguard freedom of speech, the right to information, the public interest in radio and television broadcasting and ensuring the open and pluralistic nature of radio and television broadcasting.”
As the KO senator and former head of the party said in the “#BezKitu” program on TVN24 NIK Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, asked about the further course of the case, “in a very quick manner, the president (of the Supreme Audit Office – ed.) Marian Banaś, after receiving this letter, in the formula of a so-called ad hoc control sends auditors to the National Broadcasting Council”.
Kwiatkowski assessed that Banaś “has an easier task” in this matter. – We have court rulings that say that Mr. Maciej Świrski, as chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, broke the law. He had no right, for example, to impose penalties individually – he continued.
– Mr. Maciej Świrski, for some unknown reason, by what law, probably the law of escrow, which is not a provision of applicable law, withheld the subscription fee money that, in accordance with the provisions of law in force in Poland, goes to public media – he added.
Suchoń: for the second time in 30 years
– It is very important that this draft resolution on obliging the Supreme Audit Office to investigate what is happening in the National Broadcasting Council is something that has been used for the second time in 30 years of parliament's activity – commented Mirosław Suchoń, head of the Poland 2050 parliamentary club, in “#BezKitu”.
“#NoFuck” TVN24
As he stated, “we must reach for such projects to restore freedom in the media, and we will do it effectively.”
The head of the National Broadcasting Council imposed fines on private media
In April this year National Broadcasting Council informed about the transfer of 550 thousand zlotys to its account, collected from TVN by the Tax Office. The penalty was imposed by the National Broadcasting Council in connection with the alleged violation of regulations by broadcasting the report “Bielmo. Franciszkańska 3” (“Black and white”), telling about sexual crimes in the Catholic Church and Karol Wojtyła's knowledge of the subject.
The collection of the money took place despite the station filing an appeal against the decision of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski, of 6 March to impose a penalty, which it announced publicly on 12 April.
READ MORE: TVN24 editorial statement regarding the penalty imposed by the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council
The head of the National Broadcasting Council made a similar decision this year to “transfer to the Tax Office for collection a budget receivable in the form of a penalty” in the amount of PLN 88,000 from TOK FM radio. Świrski imposed a fine on TOK FM at the end of January for the content of five broadcasts, justifying that they contained “phrases that are insulting, degrading and violate the dignity of the most important people in the country, including the President of the Republic of Poland”.
A year ago, Świrski imposed a fine of PLN 80,000 on TOK FM radio. The case concerns statements regarding the book “Historia i prezenty” by Professor Wojciech Roszkowski. The District Court in Warsaw at the beginning of July he overturned the sentence“The verdict confirms that the supervisory authority has no right to impose penalties on broadcasters just because it disagrees with certain assessments or considers them too blunt,” TOK FM wrote in a statement.
Read on Konkret24: Świrski: no one can replace the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council. Lawyers: maybe
In August 2023, Świrski fined Radio Zet. The fine amounted to PLN 476,000 and was imposed for a report on the lack of trust of the American services in the Polish services during the president's visit. Ukraine through the territory of Poland. The material was allegedly contrary to the law and Polish raison d'état.
In April 2024, Świrski – as in the case of TVN24 and TOK FM – “due to the failure to pay, despite a warning, by Eurozet Radio of a fine in the amount of PLN 476,000, ordered debt collection from the debtor”.
Wieczorek: we need to make radical changes
The Minister of Science and Higher Education was also a guest at “#BezKitu” Darius Wieczorek (Left). Asked about the future of the University of Business and Applied Sciences “Varsovia” (formerly Collegium Humanum), known for the scandal and arrests related to “diploma trading”, he stated that “we need to sort out what is happening in the higher education market”.
– Today we are preparing a draft amendment to the Higher Education Act and in my opinion we need to make absolutely radical changes. I think we need to introduce provisions that will give the Minister of Science the right to immediately close down a university if irregularities or violations of the law are found – he said. – I think that in August we will manage to make it (the draft – ed.) appear on the list of legislative works of the Polish government and consultations will probably start in September – he added.
An evening about academics
Wieczorek was also asked about the issue of student housing availability and the implementation of the Poland 2050 postulate, i.e. a student housing for one złoty. – The first step is to have student housing at all. So, to have a student housing for one złoty, you first have to build a student housing – he said.
– And here I have good news, because the government is currently consulting on the draft act on the so-called Subsidy Fund, where we would like – because it is a fund from which municipal flats are built together with local governments – for universities to also be able to use this fund for renovations and construction of student halls – he continued.
– I assume that this bill will be adopted this year and that from next year we will be able to build these dormitories – he added.