U.S. company Discovery Inc. has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN24 into Poland.
The announcement Monday comes as Poland's state broadcasting authority has for a year and a half refused to renew TVN24's license, which expires Sept. 26. The independent television channel is watched by millions of people daily in Poland and has published reports that criticize the country's right-wing nationalist government.
In another challenge for Discovery, the lower house of Poland's parliament gave initial approval last week to a bill which — if it gets final passage and the president's approval — would force Discovery to sell its controlling share in its Polish network.
"This license does not in any way solve the situation we have with the new law," said Kasia Kieli, Discovery's president and managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "The future of TVN and freedom of press in Poland is still at risk."
Discovery considers the refusal to renew TNV24's license and the draft media bill to be discriminatory, and many people in Poland view the efforts as an attempt to silence the news outlet.
The government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki denies that, saying it no longer wants companies from outside of Europe to have controlling stakes in Polish media companies, citing national security and sovereignty issues.
However, President Andrzej Duda on Sunday vowed to defend freedom of speech and the principles of property rights, comments that were widely interpreted as him suggesting he plans to veto the legislation.
The bill has also been sharply criticized by the European Union and many Poles, who view it as an attack on media freedom. It also is seen as a threat to the largest ever U.S. investment in Poland, one the company values at $3 billion.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Monday: "We welcome President Duda's statement this weekend in support of freedom of expression, the sanctity of contracts, and the shared values that underpin our relationship. We strongly encourage him to act on these values in regard to pending legislation that, if passed in the current form, could severely affect media freedom and the foreign investment climate."
The company said would only use the Dutch license, granted under European Union regulations, if Poland's national broadcasting council does not renew TNV24's license.
"We hope not to need the Dutch license, but are deeply committed to continuing to operate as an independent news network in Poland and central Europe, and serving viewers with reliable and factual journalism," Kieli said.
Last week Discovery said it had initiated a procedure against Poland at an international arbitration court to defend its investment in Poland, which now includes 24 different television channels.
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