KRRiT Still Unwilling to Deal with TVN’s Reconcessions. MWE Networks with New Licenses

By Michal Niedbalski, press.pl | 16 September 2023

The majority of the KRRiT’s composition again refused to deal with the renewal of TVN channels’ concessions. At Wednesday’s meeting, in turn, the National Council decided to grant further cable concessions to the MWE Networks group.

KRRiT member Prof. Tadeusz Kowalski once again wanted the meeting to address the reconcession of three TVN SA channels: TVN, TVN International and TVN Turbo. Both at the end of July, the end of August and now as a result of objections from the other four KRRiT members, his request in this regard was not considered.

Delaying the decision on reconcession

Kowalski was appointed to the National Council by the votes of opposition senators. The other members (they are Maciej Świrski, Hanna Karp, Agnieszka Glapiak and Marzena Paczuska) were appointed by the Sejm, in which PiS has a majority, or President Andrzej Duda, who hails from that party.

In parallel, the KRRiT is still investigating the group’s ownership structure. The broadcaster has already sent the regulator information requested by the KRRiT. It concerned data on foreign companies Warner Bros. Discovery.

“In my opinion, the Chairman’s actions on the issue of investigating the ownership structure are a sham, and their real purpose is to delay the decision on the reconcession. They are also an example of unequal treatment of entities,” Prof. Kowalski said in late August. He added that he would request immediate reconcession decisions for TVN at each subsequent meeting.

The next one will be held on September 26.

Will the KRRiT drag its feet again?

TVN SA applied to the KRRiT for an extension of its terrestrial TVN license (expires April 14, 2024) in late 2022. In early 2023, the broadcaster made identical requests for TVN International (it has a license until February 10, 2024) and TVN Turbo (until February 12, 2024).

It took the previous composition of the National Council 19 months to extend the license for TVN 24 (the KRRiT took the decision four days before the expiration of the broadcasting rights), and more than a year for TVN Seven.

At the same time, at Wednesday’s meeting, the KRRiT agreed to grant more cable licenses to Michal Winnicki’s MWE Newtorks group. It will be able to launch Shopping 24, Weather 24 and Junior Channel channels.

We have not received information from the broadcaster about the offerings of these channels and their planned launch date. As we reported in May, Michal Winnicki’s group wanted to launch the Junior Channel as early as June 2023 (such a date appeared in the broadcaster’s presentation in Telekabel & Digital TV magazine).