Attacks intensify on TVP's inclusion in new digital platform
The deputies are pushing a number of state agencies, including the Communications Ministry, the State Radio-Communications Agency (PAR) and possibly the State Protection Office (UOP) to investigate TVP's participation in the project put together by Canal+ Polska.
While none of the agencies involved would officially confirm that they are looking into the case, numerous government sources said state offices were "checking various options" in regard to Cyfra+.
The attack comes just months after the AWS-led government expressed support for the creation of the so-called Polish Digital Platform (PPC) that would include TVP. The digital platform, launched two weeks ago, is the second on the market and competes with Wizja TV, launched earlier this year by @Entertainment.
But relations between the government and TVP have soured in recent weeks and AWS representatives are now charging that the form of Canal+'s digital platform is not acceptable. "It's not only breaking the media law, but also a matter of state security," Tomasz Welnicki, deputy head of the Sejm's Culture and Media Committee told the Business Journal last week.
The problem, Welnicki said, is TVP is now being beamed over satellite, via Sweden, to Polish viewers. He said that although the media law does not specify that TVP should be distributed only via terrestrial transmitters, the fact that it does not provide for satellite transmission is meaningful. "TVP cannot broadcast its first and second channels via satellite," Welnicki said. "And moreover, even if the station were allowed to uplink to a satellite, it could not use uplink facilities belonging to another broadcaster."
Cyfra+ was created with the blessing of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV). It comprises Canal+ Polska, TVP, private television station Polsat and AsterCity Cable.
State-owned telecom operator Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA) was originally intended to be part of the platform and Canal+ expected to use transponders it leases on a satellite to broadcast in Poland. However, negotiations with TPSA are ongoing.
But Welnicki said TVP may not be the only one that will come under the government's regulatory gun.
He charged that Canal+'s license covers only its own programming and said it cannot be used to broadcast other channels. This is particularly important because the uplink device that belongs to Canal+ has not been granted an official license for use in Poland from the PAR, Welnicki added.
But Lew Rywin, president of Canal+ Polska, said last week that this was not the case. He said the device had received a license, but it was issued under the name of its former owner. Rywin added that last Thursday the station had forwarded all documents related to the device's parameters to the PAR.
The KRRiTV also came to the new platform's defense. The media watchdog said that although there were still some unanswered questions about Cyfra's operations, in principle there was nothing illegal about TVP's participation in the platform.
"TVP's status as a public broadcaster is written into the country's Media Law," said Witold Grabos, deputy head of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV). "But this does not define the technical means it would use to broadcast its programming."
According to Grabos, the issue is more political than legal. "It looks like the government has lost its heart for the platform that would be put together by Polish broadcasters," he said. And as far as the law goes, the case is clear, Grabos said. "The new platform operates on the basis of KRRiTV's approval," he added. "We have the right to give such an approval and the platform has every right to operate on its basis."
But the KRRiTV was looking deeper into the issue last week and asked a team of analysts to investigate the situation to insure there were no violations of media law.
Other government agencies also downplayed the storm surrounding the new platform. The Communications Ministry said last week that it was not particularly worried by the fact that TVP was broadcasting via satellite using Canal+'s uplink.
While none of the agencies involved would officially confirm that they are looking into the case, numerous government sources said state offices were "checking various options" in regard to Cyfra+.
The attack comes just months after the AWS-led government expressed support for the creation of the so-called Polish Digital Platform (PPC) that would include TVP. The digital platform, launched two weeks ago, is the second on the market and competes with Wizja TV, launched earlier this year by @Entertainment.
But relations between the government and TVP have soured in recent weeks and AWS representatives are now charging that the form of Canal+'s digital platform is not acceptable. "It's not only breaking the media law, but also a matter of state security," Tomasz Welnicki, deputy head of the Sejm's Culture and Media Committee told the Business Journal last week.
The problem, Welnicki said, is TVP is now being beamed over satellite, via Sweden, to Polish viewers. He said that although the media law does not specify that TVP should be distributed only via terrestrial transmitters, the fact that it does not provide for satellite transmission is meaningful. "TVP cannot broadcast its first and second channels via satellite," Welnicki said. "And moreover, even if the station were allowed to uplink to a satellite, it could not use uplink facilities belonging to another broadcaster."
Cyfra+ was created with the blessing of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV). It comprises Canal+ Polska, TVP, private television station Polsat and AsterCity Cable.
State-owned telecom operator Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA) was originally intended to be part of the platform and Canal+ expected to use transponders it leases on a satellite to broadcast in Poland. However, negotiations with TPSA are ongoing.
But Welnicki said TVP may not be the only one that will come under the government's regulatory gun.
He charged that Canal+'s license covers only its own programming and said it cannot be used to broadcast other channels. This is particularly important because the uplink device that belongs to Canal+ has not been granted an official license for use in Poland from the PAR, Welnicki added.
But Lew Rywin, president of Canal+ Polska, said last week that this was not the case. He said the device had received a license, but it was issued under the name of its former owner. Rywin added that last Thursday the station had forwarded all documents related to the device's parameters to the PAR.
The KRRiTV also came to the new platform's defense. The media watchdog said that although there were still some unanswered questions about Cyfra's operations, in principle there was nothing illegal about TVP's participation in the platform.
"TVP's status as a public broadcaster is written into the country's Media Law," said Witold Grabos, deputy head of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV). "But this does not define the technical means it would use to broadcast its programming."
According to Grabos, the issue is more political than legal. "It looks like the government has lost its heart for the platform that would be put together by Polish broadcasters," he said. And as far as the law goes, the case is clear, Grabos said. "The new platform operates on the basis of KRRiTV's approval," he added. "We have the right to give such an approval and the platform has every right to operate on its basis."
But the KRRiTV was looking deeper into the issue last week and asked a team of analysts to investigate the situation to insure there were no violations of media law.
Other government agencies also downplayed the storm surrounding the new platform. The Communications Ministry said last week that it was not particularly worried by the fact that TVP was broadcasting via satellite using Canal+'s uplink.
