Andrzej Urbanski
Polish Public Television In Turmoil As Reporters Revolt Against Control - Reports
Warsaw, Poland 28 June, 2007 Reporters at Poland's public television TVP, under the penalty of being fired, cannot talk to other journalists. But confidential leaks reveal that there is an internal revolt in progress against management's politicizing news broadcasts.
In a widely criticized move that would ensure that the news was more to the Government's liking, the Chief of the Polish President's Chancellery, Andrzej Urbanski, was, in February of this year, installed as head of Head of Polish Television in place of Bronislaw Wildstein who was considered too independent.
The Changes At Polish Television Criticised By Insiders And Outsiders
Because of the restrictions on reporters at TVP talking to outsiders, all information known to the public is generally second hand and based on anonymous sources. But because of the number of leaks from multiple sources and the subject matter of the leaks, they are suddenly getting a lot of attention.
TVP reporters have acknowledged that they work for a public television station and have certain obligations that those at private stations do not. But they are, none the less, journalists and have certain responsibilities as journalists.
The information that they are leaking to other journalists is that they are being forced into promoting Government policies rather than being journalists with a special responsibility. And they are objecting. http://www.zw.com.pl/zw2/index.jsp?place=Lead04&news_cat_id=16&news_id=162209&layout=1&forum_id=38177&page=text">Bunt dziennikarzy telewizyjnych "Wiadomosci"
Specifically it is claimed that reports to be aired on TVP that would not be favorable to the Prime Minister's Law And Justice party have either been denied air time, given lower priority or ordered changed.
Given as the latest example is news coverage of the use of force in Warsaw against striking nurses. Television management reportedly, echoing the Prime Minister's position, classified coverage of the nurses strike as a "political issue", tried to prevent it from being covered at the top of the news. See Polish Government Uses Riot Police Against Nurses
According to some, reporters and staff who have been objecting to management's control will be replaced.
In a further twist, it is reported that two factions in the Prime Minister's Party, that usually do not agree on much, have banded together and convinced the Prime Minister to replace Urbanski. They think it was a mistake to replace Wildstein's pursuit of ideas with Urbanski's practicality and control. PiS chce zmienic prezesa telewizji publicznej
Urbanski's appointment was originally justified because there was no one else available. He was, according to the Prime Minister, the best man available for the job at the time. He was to be a temporary that would be replaced in April.
It now rumored, in June, that the decision to replace Urbanski has been made and that he will go after vacation. The name of his replacement is not yet known on the rumor circuit.
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