On Wednesday afternoon, April 9, 2025, alarming news broke on the conservative network TV Republika, which reported that the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw had overturned the National Broadcasting Council's (KRRiT) decision regarding their broadcasting concession. The message flashed across the screen: "URGENT: Attack on the Republic! Court Overturns KRRiT Decision [LIVE]." This decision could also jeopardize another right-wing television station, wPolsce24.
Cezary Krysztopa from Tysol.pl reacted sharply to the news, stating, "They want to set Poland on fire." The court's verdict, though not final, has sparked significant concern that the government may be testing the limits of suppressing freedom of speech ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.
In response to the court's ruling, a demonstration organized by the Klubów Gazety Polskiej is set to take place at 6:00 PM on Bankowy Square in Warsaw, aimed at defending media freedom. The court's decision has led to fears of a return to censorship, with many voicing their concerns on social media.
TV Republika's official statement, released shortly after 1:00 PM on the same day, confirmed the court's ruling. "The Provincial Administrative Court has annulled the challenged decision of the KRRiT regarding the concession for Republika and the resolution from June 21, 2024. The KRRiT chairman is ordered to pay 10,480 zł to the plaintiffs for the costs of the proceedings," the statement read.
According to reports from Salon24, the implications of this ruling are severe. The court's decision means that both TV Republika and wPolsce24 could lose their places on the MUX-8 multiplex, which would drastically reduce their viewership, market influence, and advertising revenue.
Michał Rachoń, the program director of TV Republika, shared an alarming post on the social media platform X, stating, "BREAKING News: The court is non-finaly taking away @RepublikaTV's concession! The largest news television in Poland may disappear from MUX!" His post quickly garnered hundreds of comments, with some users suggesting that a public uprising might be necessary to combat what they perceive as an overreach by the authorities.
Another prominent figure, Samuel Pereira from wPolsce24, echoed the sentiment of alarm, referencing a quote from Berliner Zeitung Klaus dated December 9, 2023, which suggested that a unique experiment was unfolding along the Vistula River, one that could serve as a lesson for many other nations.
In a separate report, journalist Bianka Mikołajewska confirmed the court's ruling that the KRRiT had indeed violated the law by granting the concession to TV Republika. "The court has annulled the decision to grant the concession, meaning that TR loses its place on the MUX-8 multiplex," she noted in her post on X. The court also revoked the broadcasting license for wPolsce24, further compounding the situation.
Following the announcement of the ruling, someone in the courtroom reportedly shouted, "Free courts!" reflecting the charged atmosphere surrounding the case. TV Republika characterized the court's decision as an "attack on freedom of speech," a sentiment echoed by Rachoń in his social media comments.
In his remarks, Tomasz Sakiewicz, the head of TV Republika, expressed outrage over the ruling. He claimed that the judge had insisted on an immediate payment of 6 million zł to continue broadcasting, when, according to Sakiewicz, the law stipulates a yearly payment of only 1 million zł. "I have seen judges issue verdicts that are contrary to the law and shameful, but to lie to the camera while having documents in front of you, one must be a person without a conscience," he stated, highlighting the contentious nature of the ruling.
The background to this legal battle dates back to June 2024, when the KRRiT awarded two broadcasting slots on the eighth multiplex of digital terrestrial television to TV Republika and wPolsce24, while rejecting applications from Hungarian company TV2 Média and the Polish Media P.S.A. group, which sought a concession for the channel Polska24. This led to a lawsuit by the MWE Networks group, which accused the KRRiT of violating legal and procedural norms.
Market data from February 2025 showed that TV Republika had a market share of 5.83 percent, a notable increase from 3.09 percent the previous year. In comparison, TVN 24 recorded a market share of 5.31 percent, down from 6.89 percent. In the commercial demographic of ages 16-59, Republika achieved a share of 2.88 percent, up from 1.77 percent, while TVN 24 fell to 3.54 percent from 4.59 percent.
The unfolding situation has raised significant questions about the future of media freedom in Poland. The potential loss of broadcasting licenses for prominent conservative networks like TV Republika and wPolsce24 could have far-reaching implications for the political landscape, especially with elections on the horizon. As the demonstration approaches, many are left wondering how far the government will go in its attempts to control the narrative and suppress dissent.
