Poland

[PL] National Broadcasting Council submits annual report on its activities and information on key issues concerning radio and television broadcasting

IRIS 2026-6:1/21

Agnieszka Grzesiok-Horosz

University of Silesia in Katowice

As required under Article 12 of the Polish Broadcasting Act, by the end of May in each calendar year, the national regulator – the National Broadcasting Council (Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji – KRRiT) – submits to the lower house of parliament (Sejm), the senate and the President of the Republic an annual report on its activities in the preceding calendar year and information on key issues concerning radio and television broadcasting.

The report on KRRiT’s 2025 activities is divided into eight sections corresponding to particular responsibilities and tasks imposed by the 1992 Broadcasting Act.

In 2025, KRRiT fulfilled its duty to uphold freedom of speech and journalistic standards by evaluating media coverage of the presidential election campaign and monitoring news broadcasts during the emergency situation involving Russian drones over Poland in September. In addition, from September to November, KRRiT monitored TVP Info and TVP3, observing a lack of conformity with the standards of impartiality in current affairs programmes on TVP, which has been put into liquidation. According to KRRiT, the media's lack of objectivity has led to a crisis of trust, as evidenced by the numerous complaints received from viewers and listeners. The report also describes KRRiT’s enforcement and compliance activities concerning the legislation on advertising, sponsorship and product placement, as well as the promotion of Polish-language works and European productions.

KRRiT highlighted programmes that prompted reactions from viewers. In 2025, 18 088 complaints were submitted to KRRiT, which led it to initiate 379 investigation procedures. Most complaints related to news broadcasts and current affairs programmes in the context of the above-mentioned lack of objectivity, the protection of minors, vulgar language, hate speech and inappropriate commercial communications, including disguised advertising and an excessive number of commercial breaks. A total of 167 decisions imposing financial penalties were issued, totalling nearly 5 million Polish Zloty (PLN). The report for 2025 also raises the question of KRRiT’s cooperation with its foreign counterparts, including the first case where a regulator from another country carried out an investigation procedure and imposed a penalty on a broadcaster acting under a licence granted in that country and addressing its programme to recipients in Poland.

Moreover, the report contains information about the licences granted. In 2025, among others, 8 new licences were granted for satellite broadcast, as well as 20 licence renewals, and 18 licences for programmes broadcast over a cable network. As regards radio broadcasting, 6 new local licences were granted, as well as 14 licence renewals for a 10-year period.

The report further highlights the creation of the Internet Content Creators Division, responsible, among other things, for supervising influencers, countering “patostreaming”, disinformation and harmful content, and for cooperation with platforms.

On 13 May, KRRiT adopted a resolution on the adoption of the report and its provision to the Sejm, the senate and the President of the Republic of Poland. The report has also been submitted to the prime minister, which is not expressly required by the applicable legislation. The Sejm and the senate will either accept or reject the report. In the event of its rejection by both the Sejm and the senate, the term of office of all KRRiT members will terminate unless the report is approved by the President of the Republic, which is what has happened in the last two years. It should be noted that since the entry into force of the Broadcasting Act in 1993, this procedure has only ended with the termination of KRRiT’s term of office once, in 2011.

The second document adopted by KRRiT on 13 May 2026 is “The information on basic problems in radio and television broadcasting in 2025”, which summarises the most important phenomena and challenges relating to the operation of the media market in Poland.

KRRiT highlights attempts to weaken its constitutional role and the problems faced by public service media, in particular by being put into liquidation, the difficult financial situation and the decline in viewership. KRRiT also points to an uncertain future for local branches of TVP which are in liquidation and their programme boards.

The high and non-competitive costs of terrestrial broadcasting, including licence fees, fees for frequency use and terrestrial signal transmission are also put forward as barriers to the development of the terrestrial television market in Poland. Moreover, emphasis is put on the decline of television audiences. In contrast, the video-on-demand (VOD) market is considered as a highly competitive segment of the digital media sector. There are also prospects for the development of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) programmes in the Polish market.

The Information Note will also be submitted to the Sejm and the senate, and to the President of the Republic of Poland and the prime minister.