Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has failed to reach a majority decision on awarding TVN Discovery’s TVN7 a licence.
In a statement, the regulator said that three of its members were in favour and two against granting the right for what is the country’s most popular entertainment channel to continue broadcasting terrestrially once it current licence expires later this month.
Professor Janusz Kawecki, who voted against, said that he did so as when making such decisions he had to follow “the requirements set out above all in the Constitution and in the Broadcasting Act”. In his view, awarding the licence would be counter to the requirements, as was indeed the licence award to TVN24, which he also voted against.
Kawecki added that a meeting between the KRRiT and Polish President Andrzej Duda in which the regulator could present its arguments had not taken place.
President Duda went on to veto the so-called ‘Lex TVN’ late last year, paving the way from TVN24 to receive a new licence and Discovery to remain in Poland.