TVP Program Council Meeting Canceled by Liquidator; Accused of Exceeding Authority. Bartmiński Announces Further Steps

05/06/2025

11:30

- On March 20th of this year, the National Media Council appointed the Program Council of Polish Television S.A. [...] since March 20th, the program council has not managed to convene. The obligation to convene the Polish Television Program Council meeting has been placed upon the television's president, who is also the liquidator - said Jacek Bartmiński, a member of the TVP Program Council and Polski 2050, at a press conference. - The liquidator, despite my call for action in this regard after 5 weeks, not only did not respond but took no steps, and only today, after 11 weeks, was this program council convened. However, at the last moment, the liquidator canceled today's program council meeting, citing the resignation of one of the members nominated or designated by Civic Platform - he continued. - The cancellation of the program council meeting by the liquidator has no clear legal basis. Consequently, I assess this action as political delay aimed at hindering social control over the programming content of Polish Television, and I assess the liquidator's action in the first instance as a failure to fulfill, a neglect of, the duties that rested upon him by not convening this program council meeting for a long time - he further stated. - In the second instance, concerning the cancellation of today's meeting, I believe he exceeded his authority. I will appeal and ask Minister Wróblewska [...] for a formal-legal analysis of this situation and, potentially, for consequences to be drawn against the liquidator, perhaps for providing some guidance to the Supervisory Board of Polish Television - he added. - I would like to recall that the liquidator of Polish Television was nominated by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, a politician from Civic Platform. The coalition agreement provides for something that one of the editors called "clear water" in public broadcasting. We would like this television [...] to have impartial messaging and for accusations of extreme politicization of this television not to appear - he emphasized.