In the light of data published by the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), it is clear that the ruling parties in Poland receive much more air time than opposition parties. This trend is seen in public media specified as tv Polska (TVP) and Polish Radio, where the ruling parties are awarded about 54% and 70% of the air time respectively.
These data show that the imbalance in access to the antenna is significant. On TVP, ruling parties have 54% of the time available, while opposition parties – only 46%. An even greater difference exists in the Polish Radio, where the ruling parties occupy as much as 70% of the air time, leaving the opposition only 30%.
This phenomenon is not a novelty in Polish politics. Reports from the regulation of law and justice besides indicated a clear advantage for the ruling parties. According to data for the first 4th of 2023, 77% of TVP's airtime was at the time of the ruling organization and its coalitions, and by the end of 2022 this rate amounted to as much as 80%.
As prof. Tadeusz Kowalski emphasizes, "The most time was taken by Law and Justice politicians and the Prime Minister, president and talker of the Sejm – a full of 235 hours, which represents 69% of the air time". This clearly shows that the ruling parties have a crucial advantage in public media.
The phenomenon of dominance of the ruling organization in public media is not fresh in Polish politics. Any change of power usually results in a change of power on the air, which raises questions about the independency and objectivity of the media financed by the state budget. Although the current ruling coalition declared its willingness to improvement public media, the data of 2024 show that the broadcast time distribution strategy remains akin to that in force in the times of the Law and Justice.
In the light of these data, it is worth asking ourselves whether public media are truly independent and objective, or whether they are a tool in the hands of the ruling party. The answer to this question is crucial for the wellness of democracy in Poland.
According to KRRiT data, in 2023 the ruling parties had 62% of the airtime available on TVP, while opposition parties – only 38%. In Polish Radio, the ruling parties occupied 65% of the air time, leaving the opposition only 35%.
These data show that the imbalance in access to the antenna is crucial and that the ruling parties have a crucial advantage in public media. This raises questions about the independency and objectivity of the media financed by the state budget and requires urgent reform.
It is besides worth noting that public media should be independent and nonsubjective alternatively than a tool in the hands of the ruling party. That is why it is so crucial that the KRRiT and another public media supervisors guarantee that public media are truly independent and objective.
Consequently, the disparity in access to the antenna can have a crucial impact on the condition of democracy in Poland. It is so crucial that political parties, public media and supervisory authorities work together to guarantee that public media are truly independent and objective.
Continued here:
Broadcast Time: The Key component of Public Media
