The National
Broadcasting Council

During the meeting, Dr Agnieszka Glapiak referred to the provisions concerning the rule of law (in particular, Chapter III, ‘Media Pluralism and Media Freedom’) included in the European Commission’s ‘Rule of Law 2025’ report from July of last year. However, the Chair of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) disagreed with the Commission’s assessment that the situation of public media had improved following their unlawful takeover in December 2023. As Dr Glapiak noted, the facts speak themselves to the poor state of public media.

‘The current situation in public media is a cause for concern. Viewership data for news programmes following the changes introduced in December 2023 show a clear decline in viewers. In the case of major news programmes, there are hundreds of thousands fewer viewers than in previous years, and in some cases a million fewer. This is a clear sign that the current way public media operate does not foster the restoration of their credibility or public trust’, she noted.

The Chair of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) emphasised that the crisis and drastic drops in viewership have affected not only news programmes, but entertainment shows as well. The latest data indicate, for example, that on 7 March this year, Telewizja Polska, in liquidation, aired the final of the national Eurovision Song Contest preliminaries. The contest was not as popular as it was a year ago. According to Nielsen Audience Measurement data, approximately 531,000 people watched it on the main channel — nearly 800,000 fewer than a year ago.

‘Public television has still not regained most of the viewers or market position it had prior to the so-called liquidation. The competition has benefited, and continues to benefit, from the decline in Telewizja Polska’s viewership during its liquidation’, noted Dr Agnieszka Glapiak.

Dr Agnieszka Glapiak also raised the issue of state budget funding for public media. In the first half of this year, public media outlets will receive a total of PLN 1.2 billion from the state budget’s earmarked reserve. This includes PLN 900 million for TVP, PLN 150 million for Polskie Radio, and PLN 150 million for the regional Polskie Radio stations. These funds will be allocated to public media regardless of licence fee revenue transferred by the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT).

Regarding issues related to the liquidation of public media, the Chair emphasised that it is currently difficult to discern any actions that are characteristic of a liquidation process.

‘In accordance with the provisions of the Commercial Companies Code, to which the Minister of Culture and National Heritage refers, a company in liquidation should take steps to wind up its operations. However, no such actions are being taken in the case of public media’, noted Dr Glapiak.

During the interview, Dr Glapiak recalled that the Council had recently prepared reports on monitoring public media. One of these reports concerned the coverage of the 2025 election campaign for the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland.

‘Monitoring of the presidential campaign clearly showed that the way events were reported in the public media failed to meet the standards of fair journalism. As many as 84% of analysed reports failed to meet the objectivity criteria, and subjective opinions and comments from journalists were noted in 92% of cases. This illustrates the scale of the problem and confirms that the news coverage was largely one-sided. During an election campaign, this has particularly serious consequences for the quality of public debate’, noted the Chair of the National Broadcasting Council.

Another report by the National Broadcasting Council concerned the participation of political groups in news programmes, as broadcast over the public media.

‘Public media are obliged to fulfil their public service remit in an impartial manner, ensuring equal access for the presentation of different viewpoints. However, our analyses indicate a clear imbalance in this regard. As much as 78% of airtime was devoted to representatives of the ruling parties, while the opposition was underrepresented. Such disparities undermine trust in public media and run counter to their statutory role’, the Chairwoman emphasised.

During a discussion on the state of the media market in Poland, the Chair of the National Broadcasting Council also addressed issues not covered in the European Commission’s 2025 report concerning media access to public information. 
Dr Agnieszka Glapiak drew attention to the persistent problems associated with the government administration restricting the presence of certain newsrooms at press conferences. She emphasised that, in accordance with the Polish Constitution, citizens have the right to information and that public authorities are obliged to inform the public about their actions and decisions by way of the media.

‘There have been instances in which representatives of certain media outlets have been denied access to press conferences. Such actions raise serious concerns regarding the principle of pluralism and citizens’ right to information. Consequently, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has addressed this issue. At the Council’s request, the Warsaw Śródmieście-Północ District Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation on 24 February 2026 into the exclusion of Telewizja Republika journalists and camera
 operators from press conferences held by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage’, noted the Chair.

The Chair of the KRRiT also pointed out that some advertisers’ boycott of conservative media remains a significant issue affecting media pluralism and the rule of law.

‘According to our information, companies are being pressured to stop promoting their products on channels such as TV Republika or wPolsce24. This leads to a situation where such media outlets are largely deprived of advertising and, as a result, the funds to operate,’ she added.

Regarding the proposed legislative changes relating to the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), Dr Agnieszka Glapiak raised concerns about the proposals regarding the composition and operation of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT). She pointed out that the draft ‘Media bill’ provides for an increase in the number of Council members from five to nine, which the KRRiT does not consider to be justified by the EMFA provisions or the regulator’s actual needs.

‘In our view, the proposed changes may lead to a reduction in the standing of this constitutional body, as well as prolonging and complicating decision-making processes without strengthening its powers. At the same time, the draft does not provide the KRRiT with the financial, human, or technical resources required by European regulations’, the Chair of the KRRiT noted.

The Chair also emphasised that the proposed provisions do not alter the method of appointing KRRiT members, who will continue to be elected by the Sejm, the Senate, and the President of the Republic of Poland. This means that the mechanism that ensures institutional balance remains unchanged and that there are no grounds to question the Council’s impartiality and independence.

One of the topics discussed at the meeting was the complaints submitted to the KRRiT. Over 18,000 such complaints were received in 2025. These complaints primarily concerned a lack of objectivity on the part of journalists, breaches relating to the protection of minors, hate speech, and the use of profanity. Based on these complaints, the Council initiated 381 investigations.

‘As a constitutional body, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) considers ongoing dialogue with audiences and broadcasters to be of paramount importance. We expect broadcasters to shape media content responsibly and take viewers’ views into account. Our priority is to protect viewers, which is why complying with EU and national regulations and genuinely recognising the needs and expectations of the audience is so important’, said Dr Agnieszka Glapiak.

During the conversation, the Chair referred to the recent effective interventions of the KRRiT. One of these concerned the blocking of a controversial beer advert.

‘I have issued a formal request to all broadcasters to cease airing this advert immediately. The National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has received 27 complaints from viewers regarding this matter. The advert portrayed the figure of Father Christmas in an unauthorised and distorted manner. The broadcasters have complied with the request’,  remarked the Chair of the KRRiT.

The Chairwoman also drew attention to the recent fine imposed on PRIME MMA for breaching regulations on the protection of minors. The case concerned content made available on YouTube, which had not been adequately protected against access by minors.

The meeting took place as part of work on the annual report on the rule of law in the Member States of the European Union.