Government vows to pull plug on renegade radio stations
Government officials were squaring off last week to battle renegade private radio stations over the right to broadcast on low frequency airwaves.
Under a government decree, radio broadcasters had until Dec. 31 to move from an existing ultra, short-wave frequency in the 65.75-74 MHz range to an 87.5-108 MHz band length.
But some broadcasters said they'd rather fight than switch. The move was poorly prepared allowing little time to get ready, they said. Moreover, after having spent years building brands tied to well-known frequencies, many fear a loss of market share as listeners channel surf for new station locations, media watchers said.
The change, according to the Communications Ministry, is designed to bring radio broadcast guidelines in line with European standards and make way for broadcasting of military and emergency services on lower frequency channels.
The government has vowed to pull the plug on stations failing to comply and was set to release its blacklist of renegade broadcasters this week, ministry officials said.
Although the new frequency rules for radio broadcasters was initially announced in 1997, government officials only began negotiating and doling out new wavelengths in the past six months. While most major broadcasters have been assigned new wavelengths, many stations have yet to receive new channel rights. Those who are still waiting to receive new frequencies will generally have three months to make the step up, ministry officials said.
Although RMF FM, the nation's leading broadcaster, has been assigned a new wavelength, it opposes the move maintaining that it has the right to continue broadcasting on the lower frequency until May 25, 2001, based on concession terms from the National Radio and TV Council (KRRiTV). RMF FM, which received its license in 1994, was the nation's first privately licensed radio broadcaster in the post-communist era.
"A decree cannot change a concession," said Krzysztof Nepelski, head of marketing at RMF FM. "It can be amended only by the KRRiTV if a broadcaster applies for it."
Communications Minister Maciej Srebro countered: "That's the council's problem, not mine. The council could have amended the concession since it knew about the deadline." The ministry chief also added he was "open to a discussion" with RMF FM, "even one of legal character."
While ministry and RMF officials prepare legal briefs over who rules the air waves, other broadcasters embraced the change forecasting savings in the move.
"In our case changing to a higher band of ultra short waves means savings of several thousand zloty," said Kazimierz Piekarz, head of marketing at Radio Zet. To prepare for the channel switch, Radio Zet said it had run a special information campaign in broadcast and print media to keep its flock of listeners.
