Сhannel’s new formula. Polish govt expecting reforms of Belsat TV


The government wants to reach a compromise deal in a new Belsat TV concept, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło says.

According to her, the negotiations on the issue are in progress.

“Now a compromise deal and a new formula for the channel are being developed – I will wait for the results,” Szydło told Polish online publication Wpolityce.

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In mid-December, Belsat TV Director Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy told portal Wpolityce.pl with reference to unofficial information that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs intended to reduce financing Belsat TV by 2/3 and stop its broadcast in the Belarusian language. On a practical level, such changes would mean the closure of Belsat, the only independent Belarusian-language TV channel, which has become a permanent support of public opinion and national identity of Belarusians.

On December 18, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Wazczykowski voiced the ministry’s plans of Belsat TV transition to a web mode and its journalists’ transfer to TVP Polonia. In addition, in an interview with the Wprost magazine, the minister stated that limiting Belsat broadcasting would be part of the agreement with the Belarusian authorities. He added that the Belarusian authorities had promised to broadcast in the country Polish TV channels Polonia and Culture.

In turn, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dzmitry Mironchyk said that the issue was ‘not entirely within the competence of the Foreign Ministry’.

Later, however, the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry said that Belsat TV might be liquidated due to the international situation and the value challenges facing Polish diplomacy, i,e. the creation of new consulates, call center for Poles living in the UK or an increase in aid for Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

On January 5, Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy met with Poland’s Prime Minister and said that Beata Szydło assured her that there was no threat to Belsat TV.

A day later, Rafał Bochenek, Spokesman for the Polish government, stated that in January there would be no changes with respect to the TV channel Belsat. „During this time, a new compromise formula of the TV station’s further work will be developed,” the top official said.

Belsat.eu

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