TVP accused of allowing Peasants Party too much influence over programs

Public broadcaster TV Poland is being accused of allowing the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) too much influence over its news and current affairs programs. Gazeta Wyborcza quotes several former employees of TVP as claiming that troublesome journalists were removed, and others were taught to adopt attitudes favorable to the PSL and the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). Former presenter of TVP1's leading news program Wiadomosci, Grazyna Bukowska, says that the recent course of events in Wiadomosci could be called "a return to the times of the People's Republic." TVP director of programming, Marek Kassa, is quoted as saying, "It is not a secret that the PSL is not a hostile environment for me. PSL politicians have treated me well. We live too "Warsaw-centrically" and journalists have too liberal views." (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 12, 13) M.T.