Lex TVN. Joint Statement from Democrats and Republicans in the Senate

On July 7, a group of law and justice deputies submitted to the House of Representatives a draft amendment to the broadcasting law. “The will of the legislator is that companies headquartered in Poland cannot be controlled by entities outside the European Economic Area” – it was written in the justification. Commentators agree that the changes are aimed at TVN independence. TVN24 is still waiting for the National Broadcasting Board to extend its license, which expires on September 26. The extension request was submitted in February 2020. KRRiT claims that the problem lies in TVN’s “ownership status”.

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The station’s management wrote in a statement that in 2015 the National Broadcasting Council approved the entry of American capital into TVN. Since 2016 – under the same ownership terms – KRRiT has already issued licenses to TVN24 BiS, TTV and TVN International West. The license to TVN24 signed On July 22, two votes in the National Broadcasting Council. However, no decisions were made.

The Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Information adopted On July 27, a draft amendment to the media law was completed with some amendments and sent for further work.

TVN is owned by Discovery through its subsidiary Polish Television Holding BV in the Netherlands and therefore belongs to the European Economic Area.

On Wednesday, Republican and Democratic senators issued a joint statement on the matter titled “Cross-Party Senators Group Warns Polish Government Against Enactment of Law Targeting Media Freedom and Endangering US Investments.”

Today Senator Jane Shaheen (D-N.H) and chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on European Affairs and Regional Defense Cooperation issued the following joint statement, with Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Democrat) and Senator Chris Murphy (D- CT), Chris Koons (D-DE), Helsinki Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Republican Minority Leader in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Jim Risch (R-ID) in response to a bill proposed to the Polish House of Representatives, from It would infringe the freedom and independence of the media and threaten American investment in the media in Poland” – wrote the senators in the preface.

“The Polish government’s continued deviation from democratic norms, the most recent example of which is efforts to limit media independence and undermine one of the largest US investments in the country, is deeply troubling. As a cross-party group of US Senators, we want to make it clear to the Polish government that we are watching We are closely watching a bill presented to the Polish House of Representatives, which, if adopted and becomes law, would discriminate against companies outside the European Union and possibly lead to the exit from Poland of a serious American investor employing several thousand people. TVN license renewal is another step. In the direction that threatens Polish democracy. It is not a way to attract foreign investment, and will further restrict the freedom of the media, for the sake of which the Poles have fought for so long,” the senators wrote.

“These and other recent steps taken by Poland, a NATO ally, close partner and friend of the United States, do not reflect the common values ​​that underpin our bilateral relations. A decision to implement such a law could have negative consequences for defense, trade and defense relations. We urge the Polish government to think before taking action Any decisions could negatively affect our long-term relationships, the senators wrote.