Poland

[PL] Parliamentary Commission Investigating Allegations

IRIS 2003-4:1/23

Peter Strothmann

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

On 10 January 2003, the Sejm (the Polish Parliament), set up a commission to investigate allegations by a newspaper concerning possible irregularities that may have occurred in the course of the revision of the Broadcasting Act.

A newspaper publishing company, which owns a daily, 20 local radio stations and 11 magazines, allegedly has been asked to pay a bribe for "lobbying" to achieve a more favourable media law allowing the publisher to acquire a private television station.

As to the legal background, the government's draft media law - in particular its article 36 par. 3 - which had been forwarded to the Parliament in March 2002 (see IRIS 2002-3: 10, IRIS 2002-5: 6 and IRIS 2002-6: 10) and more recently - after public discussions - with less restrictive rules dating from mid-2002, would have banned the owner of a nationwide daily from obtaining a licence for nationwide broadcasting.