Money from Orlen
The OKO.press service in its investigation is based on a study by prof. Tadeusz Kowalski – a media expert. He studied how Law and Justice financially supported “its” media recently. PKN Orlen is to be an crucial advertising donor of RMF FM. In 2021 he was 1 of the 2 largest among state companies and so in the station from Kościuszko Mound (at 29.9% of the listening capacity) spent PLN 23 million.
After the tv Polsat RMF FM is to be the average that received the most money from the government. erstwhile this bought a place for the information run “We get attached” in 2021, RMF FM was the second of the largest recipients. The ads were not broadcast in media critical to the government.
In 2021 (no data for 2022), no another station had as much gross from state-owned companies as RMF FM – over PLN 111 million. The wife of the station's chief of information is employed in the Czech company Orlen. Marek Balawajder himself, asked about this, says that “no... https://t.co/m1zfJYjiUj
— Not this one, not that one. (@anita_fogler) October 30, 2023
OkO.press then writes that Orlen is frequently described by RMF FM editors, but usually in a good tone. The service claims, citing the station's staff, that, for example, erstwhile at the Orlen stations at the end of September of this year there was a “mass failure of distributors” of RMF for 30 hours delayed publication of the material on this subject. It was to be moved by RMF FM only erstwhile there was no fuel for ambulances.
Statements by the employee
One of the station's staff in an interview with OKO.press said that the superiors have strong pressures to attend Orlen conferences and advance both Orlen and Obiekka. The radio board wants to evidence Obiektek's statements and even invitation him to publicist programs.
OKO.press besides writes that Daniel Obietek has quite a few influence in RMF FM. As an example, he gives a 2022 communicative erstwhile Jacek Sasin was to be a guest of the interview with Krzysztof Ziemec. However, at the last minute he was changed to head of Orlen: RMF FM worker testified that it was Balawajdra's decision. Sasin wasn't expected to show up at any of the talks on this station since.
There was a situation erstwhile Obietek came to Terlikowski's interview and he did not leave a dry thread on it. Since then, he hasn't come to him for interviews due to the fact that he chooses meetings at Berenda's, and he's not that inquisitive. Krzysztof Berenda himself is the head of RMF FM editorial board, and according to the assurances of an anonymous employee, he is to be well acquainted with Obiek and his trusted man Adam Burak.
The chief of information RMF FM did not know that his wife, with whom he has a business relationship, works for Orlen. I don't think that's the best advice for the quality of this radio's information.
— Roman Giertych (@GiertychRoman) October 30, 2023
RMF employee, who spoke to the OKO.press service, says that the bosses seldom openly prohibit the preparation of materials on subjects not conducive to power, but frequently journalists hear that their material will not fit in the frame. It works very psychologically, due to the fact that if individual knows they might not come in, they'll resign.
Balawajdra's wife
Importantly, Mark Balawajdra's wife was a erstwhile police officer. Since 10 November 2021, he is on the Supervisory Board of Rosomak SA, a state-owned company active in the production and repair of combat vehicles. She and her colleagues from the supervisory board were appointed to this position during the time of the Law and Justice. Furthermore, the service besides states that Magdalena Balawajder besides works for the Czech company under PKN Orlen. He serves as manager of sponsorship at ORLEN Unipetrol.
The service claims that the board and supervisory board of Orlen Unipetrol is being cast by people trusted by Daniel Obietek. OKO.press editorials contacted Magdalena Balawajder, but she did not want to talk about it by saying it was her private business where she works.
The question was besides asked to Mark Balawajdrowi, but this 1 claimed that he was not following his wife's career and not talking about it. He adds that he doesn't really know what she does. The manager of RMF FM was even expected to say that he does not ask what another journalists' wives do.
