Discovery obtains Dutch license for Polish news station

WARSAW – U.S. institution Discovery Inc. has been granted a Dutch licence that would let it to support broadcasting its autarkic quality transmission TVN24 into Poland.

The announcement Monday comes arsenic Poland's authorities broadcasting authorization has for a twelvemonth and a fractional refused to renew TVN24's license, which expires Sept. 26. The autarkic tv transmission is watched by millions of radical regular successful Poland and has published reports that knock the country's right-wing nationalist government.

In different situation for Discovery, the little location of Poland's parliament gave archetypal support past week to a measure which — if it gets last transition and the president's support — would unit Discovery to merchantability its controlling stock successful its Polish network.

“This licence does not successful immoderate mode lick the concern we person with the caller law,” said Kasia Kieli, Discovery’s president and managing manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The aboriginal of TVN and state of property successful Poland is inactive astatine risk.”

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Discovery considers the refusal to renew TNV24's licence and the draught media measure to beryllium discriminatory, and galore radical successful Poland presumption the efforts arsenic an effort to soundlessness the quality outlet.

The authorities of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki denies that, saying it nary longer wants companies from extracurricular of Europe to person controlling stakes successful Polish media companies, citing nationalist information and sovereignty issues.

However, President Andrzej Duda connected Sunday vowed to support state of code and the principles of spot rights, comments that were wide interpreted arsenic him suggesting helium plans to veto the legislation.

The measure has besides been sharply criticized by the European Union and galore Poles, who presumption it arsenic an onslaught connected media freedom. It besides is seen arsenic a menace to the largest ever U.S. concern successful Poland, 1 the institution values astatine $3 billion.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said precocious Monday: “We invited President Duda’s connection this play successful enactment of state of expression, the sanctity of contracts, and the shared values that underpin our relationship. We powerfully promote him to enactment connected these values successful respect to pending authorities that, if passed successful the existent form, could severely impact media state and the overseas concern climate.”

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The institution said would lone usage the Dutch license, granted nether European Union regulations, if Poland's nationalist broadcasting assembly does not renew TNV24's license.

“We anticipation not to request the Dutch license, but are profoundly committed to continuing to run arsenic an autarkic quality web successful Poland and cardinal Europe, and serving viewers with reliable and factual journalism,” Kieli said.

Last week Discovery said it had initiated a process against Poland astatine an planetary arbitration tribunal to support its concern successful Poland, which present includes 24 antithetic tv channels.

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