By Vanessa Gera
WARSAW, Poland (AP) --A top Discovery Inc. executive said Friday that the U.S.-owned company will fight hard to keep control of a television network it owns in Poland, a $3 billion investment that is threatened by a new media bill that passed in parliament this week.
If the bill passes into law, no entity from outside Europe would be allowed to own more than 49% of any media company. The right-wing government says it's a way to defend national sovereignty and security. But critics see an authoritarian attempt to silence the most important source of independent TV news in the European Union member.
The bill in practice would only affect the ownership of TVN, a network first bought by another U.S. company, Scripps Networks Interactive, for $2 billion and later sold to Discovery — in the largest ever American investment in Poland.
Jean-Briac Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery International, told The Associated Press on Friday that TVN is now valued at around $3 billion and that the company has a fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to defend its interests.
"We have no intent to sell or leave," Perrette, who is based in London, said in an interview.
He urged the United States, the EU and European nations to intervene, saying media independence and the survival of democracy are at a "tipping point" in a strategic region of central Europe.
"We're seeing great support from the U.S. government and great support from the EU," he said. "The problem is, I fear, this (Polish) government is so ideologically dead set."
"So far, all the great support and the words clearly have not been sufficient to fend this off," he said.
Before the passing of the media bill on Wednesday, Poland's broadcasting regulator had also refused to renew a license for the network's all-news station, TVN24, which expires next month.
On Thursday, the company announced it was initiating legal action at an international arbitration court over "arbitrary and discriminatory" treatment that it sees as part of a broader crackdown on free media. Discovery accused Poland of violating a U.S.-Polish investment treaty, and Perrette said he believes the company will have a strong case if the matter ends up in court.
Perrette said Discovery also has alternative plans to save its investment in Poland, but couldn't divulge those details at this time.
There has been so far no Polish government response to the lawsuit.
To become law, the bill goes next to the opposition-controlled Senate, which has a month to examine it and can suggest changes but is too weak to block it. It then would return to the lower house for final passage, and then to the president for signing.
"This is turning in a very bad direction," Perrette said. "And now in the next 30 to 45 days, it gets decided."
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More