The chairman of Poland’s National Broadcasting Council has issued a formal request to the heads of public Polish Television (TVP) and Polish Radio, advocating for increased security measures for the facilities and their journalists.
In a letter to the broadcasters, Maciej Świrski emphasized the “need for heightened vigilance to protect both the personnel and the assets essential for program production and broadcasting.”
This move comes amidst political statements from opposition parties poised for power, signaling drastic changes in public media management and potential staff and executive layoffs, a strategy referred to as “option zero.”
Świrski, in his letter quoted by the Wirtualne Media portal, expressed concern over the public statements “by certain political factions hinting at unlawful takeovers of public media entities”.
The chairman urged meticulous adherence to internal security protocols and advocated for enhanced protection of the premises as well as thorough vetting of visitors and non-employees.
Confirming the dispatch of the letter, Świrski elaborated on the necessity of the measure, citing the unpredictable nature of such takeovers and referencing veiled mentions by the Civic Coalition (KO) of “strong individuals” who could facilitate this process.
His duty, as he stated, was to “preemptively caution” the management of public media corporations against the visits of such “strong individuals,” highlighting the gravity of the potential threat to the integrity of Poland’s public broadcasting institutions.
