The package includes parliamentary bills by the national media, with the premium audiovisual and regulations implementing the Act on the national media and the law on audiovisual premium.
Members of the opposition, who have asked for their rejection argued that the public media are subordinated to the Law and Justice, and the citizens will be forced to “finance PiS-esque propaganda.”
Representatives of Justice responded that the law organizes and strengthens the public media and the audiovisual fee will be lower than the current subscription radio and television. Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture Krzysztof Czabański accused the previous government coalition that wanted to destroy the public media. He also announced that those who are in a difficult social situation will be exempted from paying the premium audiovisual.
What changes introduced media law [documentation]
“A great revival media”
On Thursday, speaking on behalf of the applicants, PiS MP Barbara Bubula said that the adoption of laws is the “sacred duty Polish patriots” and means “great renewal of the media.”
It assessed that the method of appointment of the National Media Council guarantees the independence of the media. – Independence of the current political influence is one of the pillars of the law – she said.
The six National Media Council is to be elected by the Sejm, the Senate and the president for a six-year term. Among the candidates elected by the Sejm one place to be legally guaranteed for the candidate of the largest opposition club, which is in the current term of the PO. It RMN would have to make a choice of public media authorities.
Another element of guaranteeing the independence of the media from the current national policy will be – according to a representative of the applicant Mark Suski of Justice – the introduction of a new premium audiovisual. According Suski way of collecting contributions in the electricity bill and depositing it on account separate from the state budget will guarantee that “there will be no interference with the ruling.”
Composed by PiS deputies project foresees from 1 January 2017. Fee of 15 zł per month charged with the electricity bill. But – as he said Suski – applicants are willing to discuss changing its height. With fees are to be exempt people over 75 years of age, disabled and poor.
The third representative of the applicant, Elzbieta Kruk (PiS), considered that the previous political team “no longer depend on public media.” Accused the former prime minister Donald Tusk consistent implementation to weaken the media. According to Kruk public media did not behave objectivity and values and the environment right-wing and conservative were they discriminated against.
“The project will give the public media Poles”
From this assessment agreed to Joanna Lichocka (PiS), which argued that the project is a good change that will give the public media Poles and allow pulling them out of the hands of party nominees. Wojciech Skurkiewicz (PiS), in turn, stressed that the current law on the subscription did not ensure the universality of subscription fees, which led to the fact that in 2014 within the license fee had paid only 8 percent. households. Skurkiewicz added that the contribution of audiovisual media to increase public budget, which will result in reduction of advertising, media and dekomercjalizację higher quality programs. He assured that they will be upheld existing exemption from fees, contributions will not pay, among others, elderly people in difficult circumstances and people with disabilities.
The representatives of the applicants also asserted in his speech that the projects will be subjected to a thorough public debate.
“The attack on the truth”
A different assessment of projects presented by opposition MPs. Wojciech King (PO) decided that the new media law “have to be afraid.” According to Michal Kaminski from the same group “big” media law is “an attack on the truth.”
– you media are needed in order to lie, because the truth you fear the most, because the truth is something you do not want to arrived to the Poles, and think that the media national – fouling the word national, sacred to many – becoming in the service of one political party, the Poles will make the water from the brain. They will not – said Kaminski.
On the other hand, Piotr Liroy-March with Kukiz’15 compared the project to a very poor music “demo”. – The artist in this case goes to the people who have to know this. Inquire of experts – he said. However, representatives of his club announced that “they will put a lot of work” to improve the project.
As a “scandalously poor” project described Grzegorz Furgo of Modern. Furgo also complained that although the proposals contained therein “are not directly unconstitutional, they want to steer clear of the Basic Law, because it marginalizes the National Council of Radio and Television.”
similar opinion formulated taking part in the debate head of NBC Jan Dworak, who complained that the project “is in conflict with the tasks of the NBC” and “violates the Constitution because it creates competition in the form of a competence of the planned National Media Council.”
reservations related to the partial duplication of a new RMN and NBC, as well as the related double expenditure on the two Councils and the “legal chaos” returned several times during the debate.
Iwona Śledzińska-Katarasińska PO compared with the Media Council of the National Radio Committee of the communist era. – All correct: we have a press concern, because it is the PAP, radio and television, there is no “movement” and we have a Polish Radio and Television, which stands at the head of this institution. It’s all PRL, PRL only PiS, not bis – said deputy PO. “Window-dressing”, in turn, called MEP Angelika Możdżanowska PSL project proposal to the Council of the National Media one place was guaranteed by the opposition.
The opposition also criticized the proposal to introduce a premium audiovisual, which – according to the statement of reasons – is expected to approx. 2 billion zł. It was defined as a “tribute to the propaganda of Law and Justice” (Wojciech King – PO), “arrogant jump on citizens’ money on boring, pompous and stupid propaganda” (Gregory Furgo – N) or “a new tax on the media reżimowo-party” (Angelica Możdżanowska – PSL).
It was also claimed that the administration of the system pre-emptive contributions will “cost a fortune,” and for those who have several apartments or parcel, the premium can be a serious burden. Thomas Jaskóła of Kukiz’15 doubted, in turn, has been carried out any calculations that led to the determination of contributions to the national media in the amount of 15 zł.
Representatives of opposition parties also complained that the new rules do not guarantee the independence of the public media, and the rulers treat the public media “as a tool of governance.”
– It is true that in the past period differently at times, but at least pretended to journalists. (…) Today is a tube propaganda – assessed Możdżanowska. – Their governments in the media since you started the Great Purge – said Michał Stasiński of Modern. It was emphasized that work in the public media has lost more than a hundred journalists; some of them working in the media for many years. During the question of Modern deputies for several minutes wyczytywali names alphabetically exempt journalists from the public media.
“There will be a wide public consultation”
In response to allegations of Modern deputies, Deputy Minister of Culture and the Government Plenipotentiary. Media reform Krzysztof Czabański said that the public media were released only three people. He recalled that he spoke about it during the meeting of the parliamentary commission on culture.
Project criticized the nienowoczesność. As a “clinically archaic” and not taking into account the new reality of media and the development of new technologies identified him with Marta Globik Modern, indicating that many young people do not have a TV today.
Representatives of the opposition put up the allegation that the project – as submitted by MPs – has not been appropriate, broad public consultations, even though he was working on the team in the ministry of culture.
Krzysztof Czabański asserted that “will be a wide public consultation.” “With these proposals, and stepped to the Speaker of Parliament, and Chair of the culture according to the promise, which consisted” – said Czabański, in response to comments from Members. He also declared that the Parliament will conduct a public hearing on the project.
The Deputy Minister also said that the assumptions presented the bill to different environments, and the project “not to produce the void.”
In response to questions about why the project was submitted as an MP, not the government, Czabański stressed that the idea came from PiS deputies: Barbara Bubuli, Joanna Lichocki, Elzbieta Kruk and Jaroslaw Sellin, with whom he has worked before he entered the government.
To conclude the debate on behalf of the applicants, Barbara Bubula thanked for attention and announced that in the course of work in committees and subcommittees, “we will have a chance to make a very important correction to this project.” Referring to the reports of the National Broadcasting Council, also assessed as untrue the claim that fewer and fewer people use traditional media.
– We are still in the leading countries when it comes to the use of traditional media – she said. He repulsed the allegation that the project itself is anachronistic. She pointed out that it provides, among others, the use by the national media of the modern forms of contact with the audience, build forms podcastigowych, the use of online forms of communication, hybrid TV and video on demand, “which does not have a television, although it should have.”
As explained, the development of new technologies is also one of the reasons why it is necessary to introduce universal premium audiovisual, as a result of modern access to the content is no longer necessary to connect receiving public media of having the TV. She noted that the new contribution will be tens of percent lower than the current subscription radio and television.
It argued that Poland is very low in relation to the GDP share of the state in the financing of public media.
The opposition requested the rejection of the three bills that make up the large media law. Voting on this issue will take place on Thursday. If the projects will not be rejected, it will be discussed in the parliamentary commission on culture and the media.
PAP / IAR, it bk
