28-02-2008

TVN files complaint over subsidies for TVP

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    Private media group TVN SA is asking the European Commission to investigate whether its public competitor Telewizja Polska SA has unfair advantage due to state subsidies it receives. TVN says Poland's legal and regulatory framework on the financing of public television through public aid violates EU law.

    TVN said in a statement issued on Feb. 26 that according to estimates by experts, TVP received 600 million zloties (€170 million) between 2000 and 2006 from mandatory radio-TV license fees that should be treated as unlawful aid.

    The new centre-right government in Poland is considering whether to drop the license fee in favor of direct state aid.

    TVP has dismissed the complaint as groundless.