US-owned TV news station can continue to broadcast

Poland’s radio and television regulator KRRiT has agreed to put the TVN24 satellite television news channel on the official register, allowing it to continue to operate despite the fact that the station’s license has not yet been renewed.

TVN24 has been struggling to get its licence renewed for one-and-a-half years. Its current permit expires on September 26.

KRRiT said in a Monday statement that the decision “ensures the continuity of broadcasting of TVN24 programmes after September 26, 2021, regardless of the results of current proceedings.”

In mid-August, the lower house of parliament adopted an amendment to Poland’s Broadcasting Act tabled by MPs from ruling party, the conservative Law and Justice (PiS), which specifies that only entities headquartered in European Economic Area (EEA) countries can be granted a broadcasting licence, provided they are not dependent on entities from outside the EEA. However, the bill will now be put to a vote in the Senate, the upper house, which is likely to reject or amend it.

If introduced, the new regulation would affect the US-seated Discovery Inc. company, owner of Poland’s largest independent television network, TVN, known for its government-critical stance. In effect, Discovery could be forced to sell the station.

Also in mid August, Discovery has obtained a Dutch licence for its news channel TVN24. The First News