Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has responded to the US Department of State’s concerns about a fine imposed by the regulator on the national commercial station TVN.
In a statement, it says that that the fine was based on a thorough and long-term analysis of six TV programmes broadcast by the news channel TVN24.
It adds: “in many of the programmes we monitored, there was sharp criticism of the ruling coalition, but this was not the subject of our decision, which critics accuse us of.
“So there was no partiality in deciding to impose a penalty. It should be emphasised that from all the analysed programmes only on TVN24, the National Broadcasting Council saw a violation of the law, including art. 18 section 1 and 3 of the Act on Radio and Television.
“The National Broadcasting Council rarely punishes broadcasters as it guards the freedom of speech, but freedom also means responsibility.
“TVN has the right to sympathise with the opposition. However, its reports could fuel aggression leading to tragic events that have already taken place in the recent past.
“Once again, one has to repeat that in a situation when it comes to blows, and even as a last resort to the spilling of blood, words weigh like stones and can cause an avalanche”.
The KRRiT also said that the fine was low, equivalent in only 0.1% of the broadcaster’s annual revenue in 2016 and barely 1% of the maximum permissible fine.
Significantly, the KRRiT in addition revealed to Wirtualne Media that its internal legal department did not find any violations in TVN24’s action and it called on external expertise to reach its decision.
