KRRiTV raises concern about spheres of political influence in state media

Jaroslaw Sellin, a member of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiTV) yesterday sent letters to the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) leader Prime Minister Leszek Miller and to the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) leader Jaroslaw Kalinowski demanding an explanation if there was any collusion between the parties concerning the choice of directors of public television and radio. Since last Thursday the supervisory board in Polish Radio cannot elect a new president as three PSL members are constantly breaking the talks, afraid that their candidate will be replaced by the SLD one. Zbigniew Kuzmiuk from the PSL said in public that his party has right to name the president of Polish Radio, while the SLD nominates the head of public television. According to Sellin such a statement is proof that radio and television laws are being broken. "As a member of the council guarding the independence of the media, I cannot accept this," said Sellin. Both Miller and Kalinowski will respond to the letters. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) A.D.