Television chiefs call for empowered regulator
"The regulator must be an independent authority unswayed by power groups in either political or business circles," says Janusz Arciszewicz, president of the board of directors at cable television firm Aster City. "That's my ideal scenario, and whatever the new law says, the only thing that matters is how this authority works in practice.
"We expect clear guidelines for industry regulators," says Marek Sowa, vice-president of United Pan European Communications. "[That would be] in order to reduce leeway for arbitrary decisions and confusion over authority between the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) and the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Office (URTiP)."
Sowa seeks an end to state television provider TVP's privileged position of receiving public finance as well as advertising revenue. He also calls for anti-trust issues to be regulated by a dedicated, competent agency such as the Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumers (UOKiK).
Piotr Walter, President and General Director of commercial television broadcaster TVN, calls for one regulatory body to be created by combining KRRiT with URTiP.
In Walter's view, the new act should ensure that market regulation serves two basic functions. Firstly, "...the protection of values such as freedom of speech, plurality of the media and the principle of fair trading. Secondly, Walter asks for it to "...provide the required instruments to eliminate practices prohibited by law. Generally speaking, one should abandon the philosophy of administering the market in favor of increasing the role of self regulation of the market."
Walter wants the problem of media concentration and the issue of protection of the market against monopolistic practices to remain in the hands of UOKiK.
Arciszewski, as president of Aster City, is particularly concerned about the monopoly issue. Currently TPSA, whose main shareholders are France Telecom and Kulczyk Holdings, dominates the fixed-line market. While it continued, in Arciszewski's words, "...to have a good relationship with the government, paying its dividends," the TPSA monopoly was not being challenged by a regulator that is effectively a partial appendage of the state executive.
Arciszewski says that TPSA is abusing its power, and it is an abuse that has to stop. "We need a regulator that makes it impossible for the owner of infrastructure, a service provider which is a monopolist by definition, to deny access to the very service it provides."
Finally, the private sector chiefs are confident that if the new law will not police the anticompetitive system, in the words of Arciszewski, "EU memberships will give us an outlet to file complaints if eventually the new regularator does not have enough power to act."
"We expect clear guidelines for industry regulators," says Marek Sowa, vice-president of United Pan European Communications. "[That would be] in order to reduce leeway for arbitrary decisions and confusion over authority between the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) and the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Office (URTiP)."
Sowa seeks an end to state television provider TVP's privileged position of receiving public finance as well as advertising revenue. He also calls for anti-trust issues to be regulated by a dedicated, competent agency such as the Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumers (UOKiK).
Piotr Walter, President and General Director of commercial television broadcaster TVN, calls for one regulatory body to be created by combining KRRiT with URTiP.
In Walter's view, the new act should ensure that market regulation serves two basic functions. Firstly, "...the protection of values such as freedom of speech, plurality of the media and the principle of fair trading. Secondly, Walter asks for it to "...provide the required instruments to eliminate practices prohibited by law. Generally speaking, one should abandon the philosophy of administering the market in favor of increasing the role of self regulation of the market."
Walter wants the problem of media concentration and the issue of protection of the market against monopolistic practices to remain in the hands of UOKiK.
Arciszewski, as president of Aster City, is particularly concerned about the monopoly issue. Currently TPSA, whose main shareholders are France Telecom and Kulczyk Holdings, dominates the fixed-line market. While it continued, in Arciszewski's words, "...to have a good relationship with the government, paying its dividends," the TPSA monopoly was not being challenged by a regulator that is effectively a partial appendage of the state executive.
Arciszewski says that TPSA is abusing its power, and it is an abuse that has to stop. "We need a regulator that makes it impossible for the owner of infrastructure, a service provider which is a monopolist by definition, to deny access to the very service it provides."
Finally, the private sector chiefs are confident that if the new law will not police the anticompetitive system, in the words of Arciszewski, "EU memberships will give us an outlet to file complaints if eventually the new regularator does not have enough power to act."
