NATO Individual Democratic Institutions Research Fellowships (1994-1996)

Why Public Service Broadcasting Eastern vs. Western Europe: Circumstances and Challenge Catalin Preda (Romania) [Back to Index]

2.5. Polish Radio 2.5.1. History and evolution 1925 First experimental broadcasts in Poland. 1926 The "Polish Radio" joint stock company initiates regular radio broadcasts. 1935 Nationalisation of the "Polish Radio" Company, with state purchasing its stock. 1939 In September 1939 two central stations were in operation, there were also eight regional stations, and the number of subscribers amounted to 1.1 million. Polish Radio has broadcast until the day German army entered Warsaw. Under Nazi occupation Polish Radio suspends its activities. 1944 The first Polish government station resumes broadcasting in August as a state enterprise created through a decree by the Polish Committee of National Liberation. 1945 The first programme of the central station in Warsaw gets on air. 1944 - 1949 Repairing of war damage. Polish Radio again reaches its pre-war state of development with respect to the total power of stations, their number, the length of broadcasts and the number of subscribers. 1949 - 1956 The power of stations is doubled and the number of subscribers exceeds 3 million. A new station was created in Warsaw with a new 200 kW transmitter whose mast was 335 meters high. 1960 - 1967 All the 16 capitals of the Polish provinces have their own radio-stations. A national 'Channel III' was started. 1968 - 1970 The stereophony and night-time broadcasts were introduced in parallel with the improvement of all three national channels. 1973 A national 24-hours programme was introduced. 1976 Channel IV starts broadcasting. 1977 - 1980 The most powerful station in the world at that time was inaugurated in Konstantynov, in a central point of Poland. Its power was of 2,000 kW. Experiments were carried on in the field of quadrophony and with equipment for multiplex-broadcasting. 1981 With the proclamation of Martial law on 13 December, Channels II, III and IV were suspended. 1982-1989 The failure of 1980's economic and political measures, which were aimed to produce the much-expected recovery from the crisis in all fields, negatively influenced the development of broadcasting. Nevertheless, broadcasting resumed on all national, regional and local radio-stations, in parallel with the gradual suspension of Martial law. 1989 After long round-table debates between the communist government and the 'Solidarity' trade union, the process of reforms in Poland began and, in this context, Polish Radio started its own process of reorganization. 1991 The largest technical disaster in the Polish Radio history happened on 8 August when the mast in Konstantinow failed down during regular repairing. Since then, Channel I is broadcast by backing stations. 1992 A modern Newsroom based on the Basys System is put into operation. Subscribers to the Polish Radio exceeded 11 million. A new 'Law on Radio and Television' was finally adopted on 29 December, after almost three years of debates. 1993 Despite the new law, more than 60 local radio and TV stations were broadcasting without a licence, but the situation improved the following years.

2.5.2. Legal framework Poland had successfully established its own brand of independent media before the pivotal year 1989, when the first free elections were held, but then things like advertising, circulation and promotion managers were virtually unknown. The worst problem appeared to be with government controlled radio (and television), where many of the 'old guard' were still directing coverage, and Poland's first democratic government, which included many communist holdovers, did not feel it had a clear mandate or the 'know-how' to interfere. Today, the Polish media scene is as diverse as vigorous, and doing relatively well. By most standards newspapers in Poland are reasonably successful. Broadcasting is however a different story. The biggest problems mass-media is facing today, especially the broadcasters, come from the government, controlled now by a coalition of former communists and their allies. The Press Law It was drafted in 1995 and gives the government inordinate control over journalists. Their work would be judged by a government-established and financed press council that would have the power to bar a journalist from the profession. The bill also requires editors-in-chief to have 10 years of experience and be appointed for terms of three to five years, with journalists employed for the duration of their editor-in-chiefs' term of office. Opponents attacked literally every aspect of the proposed bill, in particular nothing that the 10-year requirement for editors-in-chief would mean that only journalists trained under the communist regime could hold those positions. The Radio and Television Law (or the Audiovisual Law) The bill was adopted by the Polish Parliament on 29 December 1992, after almost three years of fierce debating, and came into force on 1 March 1993. The law was issued together with an amendment to the constitution stating a central authority in the broadcasting field 'The National Council of Radio and Television'. The corner-stone of the Radio and Television Law concerning programme production is that a radio or television broadcaster is independent from the state under the reserve of a number of obligations. The law defines a reference scheme considering that some problems cannot be resolved but on the basis of experience. It carries explicit provisions about advertising, the copy-right, the protection of the Polish national audio and video works, the promotion of the European works, and about the broadcasting rights. The law states that the programmes getting on air must not encourage illegal actions or actions that are contravening to general or to state's interests, and indecent programmes are forbidden. For the radio the law stresses, on the other hand, that it has to respect the religious convictions of the population, especially the Christian values. The law provides also that radio it is not allowed to broadcast, between the hours 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., programmes that may prejudice the psychic development, metal or moral, of the children and adolescents. Another object of the law is to watch the development of the national production of radio and television programmes. Every radio broadcaster has to reserve at least 30% of its broadcasting time to Polish produced programmes. The Radio and Television Law has basically changed the structure and the juridical statute of public service broadcasting in Poland. Under the new law, public service broadcasters are obliged to objectively present all the facts and events that contribute to the freely forming of opinion. They must also: reflect in the programmes the wide range of tastes and sensibilities; to submit themselves under public control; to promote the culture, science and education. On the other side, there are some obligations for Polish public service broadcasters to present the governmental policy. The political parties, the trade unions, and the employers' associations have the legal right to expose their point of view on the fundamental problems of the nation. Public service broadcasting is financed in Poland by licence fee, the money being distributed by the National Council of Radio and Television. These resources may be completed through advertising, the law fixing the upper limit at 15% of the daily broadcasting time, with a maximum of 12 minutes for each hour of transmission. The public service broadcasters in Poland are acting as stock companies with all their capital owned by the state, represented by the Finance Ministry. There are some provisions in the Radio and Television Law specifying that state's powers in this field must not be exercised in such a way that is not influencing the programme policy of the public broadcaster. The National Council of Radio and Television (or the National Council of Audiovisual) It was established by the Radio and Television Law. The Council is invested with regulating and administrative functions, and it is composed of nine members, designated by the two Chambers of the Parliament and by the Polish President. The State Chief nominates also the President of the Council. To protect the council against any political pressures the law provides that it can be revoked only with the unanimous vote of the two chambers of the Parliament and of the Polish president. High civil servants, radio and television chiefs, and the producers of audiovisual works are not allowed to be members of the council. Being an active member of a political party, of an official organ of a social or religious association, of a workers' trade union or of an employee organisation is also incompatible with the membership in the council. The most important objectives of the Radio and Television Council are: to elaborate regulation; to grant broadcasting licences; to fix the level of the licence fee for the users of radio and TV sets and to distribute the funds between public service broadcasters. The council has the ability to make the difference between the obligations and the rights of public service broadcasters and those of private radio and TV stations in the fields of advertising, copy-right, the protection of Polish national audiovisual works, the promotion of European audiovisual works, and the broadcasting rights. The council attributes the frequencies in co-operation with the Ministry for Telecommunications. The Committee for Polish Radio & Television It is a governmental body of which Polish Radio is a part of, as an entity. The manager of Polish Radio has also the rank of Deputy President of the Committee for Radio and Television. The main activity of the Committee is to handle licences - the granting, control, suspension or removal of transmission licences, both for public and private broadcasters.

2.5.3. Polish Radio Network Programme I Broadcasts 24 hours per day on long-wave frequencies. Its programmes consist of 50% speech - news and general information about Polish and international political, economic and social events, sports, weather, road traffic, and other utility information, and 50% music - Polish, American and European pop, rock, heavy metal and other styles. Advertising accounts for 3-4% of a day's broadcasting time. Programme II Broadcasts stereo on FM frequencies. It is mainly a cultural channel, with programmes about literature, theatre, concerts, opera, and with only little advertising. From its 19 hours daily broadcasting time 75% are reserved to classical music. Programme III Broadcasts on FM frequencies 23 hours per day. The third programme addresses mainly to young listeners and proposes news, general information, serious discussion of various topics, and advertising. Pop music is also present in a large portion. Programme IV Broadcasts on medium wave frequencies 10 hours every day. It is an educational channel, with many programmes on science and history. It is also a family consultative programme, with phone-in debates on the main issues a family is concerned now-a-days. Music has its share of the fourth programme. It is mainly classical - 80%, but you may listen also pop, rock and other kinds of so-called easy music. Programme V It is the international service of Polish Radio, broadcasting news and general information, especially about Poland, in eleven languages. The programmes are transmitted on short and medium wave frequencies. The Regional Radio Stations There are 17 regional stations operating in Poland. They are broadcasting each between two and a half and almost five hours per day. To do that they opt out for the second national channel three times a day, between Monday and Saturday, and twice on Sundays. Generally speaking, Poland's broadcasting system has been described as 'centripetal'. While regional stations broadcast their own programming, another of their main functions has always been to feed news stories, features, arts programming, etc. to nation-wide radio channels. Polish regional radio stations are broadcasting a total of 19,000 hours of programmes per year on one of the four national channels. On a week-day morning, the opt-out time is taken up with news, utility information, press reviews, brief features, interviews and meetings with people in the news, announcements of the day's events, and a lot of music. In the next opt-out time, shortly after one o'clock, programming caters mostly to farmers. In the late afternoon and early evening, regional stations weigh in with more news and current affairs, accompanied by arts, cultural and literary programmes, music and folk art. Some regional stations go beyond this schedule, opting out for still more time. On Sundays, the regional stations are dealing mainly with social and cultural topics, with special attention to the work of local artists and ensembles. They go on air again for 15 minutes on Sunday evenings to cover local sport events. The regional stations broadcast a total of 18,500 hours of programming a year. All their programmes, but especially the morning ones, involve a phone-in element. The regional stations also produce programming to be broadcast on one of the four national radio channels. Another development in regional radio is what some people call internal specialisation, gearing segments of the programme to particular groups of listeners - young people for example. Regional radio-stations try to be involved in the life of their communities as actively and directly as possible. They organise drives and competitions, sponsor popular cultural and sport events, promote worthy clauses and in general try to integrate the community. The Radio and Television Law provides the creation of 17 regional corporations, all charged with the obligation to ensure radio broadcasting services. Each regional station of Polish Radio is granted with an autonomous legal statute, taking the form of a stock company. In the forthcoming decade Polish Radio plans to transform the programmes of the regional stations into a national network, in which, in addition to a steady lengthening of the segments of the local programmes, space will be found to present locally prepared programmes for the other national networks. The Independent Stations of Polish Radio are concentrating on offering varied pop music programmes, and general and local news. Polish Radio has three such independent stations: Solidarity and Zet in Warsaw, and Fun in Krakow. In their programmes pop music represents 80-90%.