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Anne W McNeill  10/19/2006 03:29:08 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

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UNCLAS        WARSAW 01523

SIPDIS
CXWARSAW:
    ACTION: PAS
    INFO:   MGT POL GS

DISSEMINATION: PASG
CHARGE: PAS

APPROVED: PAS:EKULAKOWSKI
DRAFTED: PAS:CBEAMER,AJAKOWIE
CLEARED: POL: DVANCLEVE

VZCZCWRI776
PP RUCNMEM RUEHC
DE RUEHWR #1523/01 2071309
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261309Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES  PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1461

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 001523 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PL
SUBJECT: THE (LAST?) BATTLE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA IN POLAND 
 
REF: A. WARSAW 05 03720 
     ¶B. WARSAW 05 04079 
 
SBU: NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Journalists and media observers continue to bemoan 
the perceived loss of independence for public media.  While 
Polish Public media has ebbed and flowed with majority 
politics since 1989 never has the division between 
politicians and media been drawn in such sharp relief.  The 
dust is settling in the appointments fury following the 
announcement of a coalition government between ruling Law and 
Justice (PIS), Self-Defense (SO) and the League of Polish 
Families (LPR).  For the first time since independence in 
1989 no opposition party holds a seat on the Boards of 
Directors for public television, public radio, the Polish 
Press Agency nor the powerful National Broadcasting Council 
(KRRiT).  This unique situation was brought on by the PIS 
sweep of the Presidency, Senate, and Parliament in 
conjunction with a new media law run through Parliament in 
record time in late 2005 (see Reftel B).  The cantankerous 
environment has reached its apex with SO Chairman and Deputy 
Prime Minister Andrzej Lepper calling for TVP President 
Bronislaw Wildstein's dismissal over Wildstein's refusal to 
name SO's candidate director of TVP 3 regional television; a 
critical slot to guarantee positive rural coverage before 
local elections in November.  Andrzej Mietkowski, head of TVP 
news and former President of the Polish News Bulletin, put it 
bluntly: "I see the future of TVP in dark colors." 
 
APPOINTMENTS 
------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) As is customary in many democracies, like our own, 
political appointments of supporters is nothing new.  What 
makes the situation for public media in Poland unique is the 
unprecedented PIS dominance across the government spectrum. 
The Boards of Directors for public media have representatives 
from the Senate, Parliament, and Presidency.  Since Poland's 
first freely elected government in 1989, no one party has 
wielded the majority in all three branches of government. 
The Boards of Directors are directly responsible for naming 
the supervisory boards which work in cooperation with the 
President of each organ (Radio, TV, Press Agency) to appoint 
directors.  In addition, the new media law passed in December 
2005 dissolved the National Broadcast Council (KRRiT) and 
reduced its membership from nine to five.  Members that 
previously rotated two at a time for six-year terms were 
swept aside and replaced with an entirely new (coalition) 
five member board.  Hence, in a matter of six months, all 
public media power positions have been replaced by PIS or one 
of its coalition partners. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) LPR appointee to the Board of Directors at TVP, 
Piotr Farfal, remains in his post despite media revelations 
last month that he published a neo-Nazi newspaper as a 
teenager.  Farfal offered his resignation to the KRRiT board, 
but they have, as yet, to act.  Farfal, a 28 year old who 
finished law school last year, is a notable example of the 
ongoing politicization of public media jobs, and the failure 
of any coalition party to vet candidates for virulently 
anti-Semitic views that would bar their appointment in most 
countries. 
 
WILDSTEIN 
--------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) One of the most influential appointments in Poland 
is the President of Public Television.  Public Television 
still holds over 60% of the viewer market in Poland, rates 
higher than that for news and current events, and 
traditionally rates highest in public opinion polls on 
credibility and reliability of information.  PIS named 
Bronislaw Wildstein President of TVP.  Wildstein is a widely 
respected right-leaning journalist famous for publicizing a 
number of secret communist era security files exposing 
communist sympathizers.  The term "Wildstein's list" is now 
synonymous in Poland with the archives at the National 
Remembrance Institute.  Being suspected of inclusion on 
"Wildstein's list" can be the political death knell for 
public figures.  His "anti-Communist", "anti-corruption", 
reputation and right leaning politics fit well with the 
ruling PIS party while naming a respected journalism 
professional appeased the media community with whom PIS has a 
hate/hate relationship.  Wildstein is in a tough position now 
as political pressures mount against what many feel is the 
integrity of TVP.  Boleslaw Sulik, a former KRRiT chairman 
and current employee of TVP's film production agency, told 
post that "TVP has always been politicized but I don't 
remember the situation ever being as bad as it is currently. 
We allow Jaroslaw Kaczynski to say absurd things without a 
reaction.  Everything he does, whether Lepper, Giertych, 
Radio Maryja, all those absurd things he says should be 
considered publicly as extremely cynical political thinking." 
 On the flip side, SO Deputy Krzysztof Filipek has been 
quoted as saying, "President Wildstein has been repeating 
that he will not allow any politician to manage TVP.  He has 
forgotten that he was nominated thanks to political 
agreement." 
¶5. (SBU) For his own part, Wildstein has said he would strive 
to keep his post at TVP until the current Sejm (Parliament) 
term ends.  He has also proven that he is not totally 
malleable to political ends though by blocking the preferred 
coalition choices for key directorships at TVP 1 and TVP 3. 
"It is my role to give it (television) independence and watch 
how it carries out its mission," he said.  In support of 
Wildstein the Polish Journalists' Association adopted a 
resolution against "politicians breaching media law that in 
no section gives them the right to intervene in the 
operations of public media." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) If Wildstein is dismissed (far from inconceivable in 
today's topsy-turvy Polish politics) the media hailstorm 
released against the ruling coalition will dwarf any previous 
squabbles.  Journalists see Wildstein as the last check for 
media independence.  Post suspects that PIS leaders are too 
savvy to allow that, however, and in fact are secretly not 
opposed to Wildstein's blocking of key directorships for 
their coalition partners.  As reported, it is widely accepted 
that PIS strategy consists of a plan to swallow up its 
coalition members on the right.  Having SO control regional 
television in the run-up to local elections would hardly fit 
with that strategy and the last thing the Kaczynski twins 
need at this juncture is to further alienate the press. End 
Comment. 
 
HILLAS