Confusion Seeking Good Press

Michael Hedges September 28, 2009 Follow on Twitter

There’s an election coming, always a clue to politicians’ interest in television. What better reason to fire the head of the public broadcaster, again. But what if he won’t leave the building?

The supervisory board of Polish public television TVP fired the entire eight member Board of Directors (September 19) along with acting TVP President Piotr Farfal.  This dispute is but one chapter in the long running drama for control over TVP and, just as much, media regulator National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT).  Poland’s two major political parties - Law and Justice (PiS) and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) – effectively control TVP’s supervisory board after several years of amending media law.

The board named Boguslaw Szwedo, a member of the supervisory board, interim president. When he showed up for work the following week (September 21), the TVP receptionist, following Farfal’s orders, refused to give him a building pass. Szwedo came to the building to order Farfal out. Farfal refused to take Szwedo’s phone call, saying he was too busy, reported Polskie Radio (September 21). Szwedo left a letter.

Farfal claimed the supervisory board had no legal right to fire him. “Anyone who tries to spread chaos in TVP on the basis of illegal resolutions will be sued by its authorities for acting to the detriment of the company,” he said to press agency PAP.

Farfal had called for then cancelled the meeting with the supervisory board (September 16), discovering they intended to vote him off the show. They decided to go ahead with the meeting. Eight members of the supervisory board were prevented from entering the TVP building for the meeting. The ninth member, Treasury Ministry representative Ewa Nowinska, was allowed in the building but she refused to attend the meeting, which was moved to a safer location, the National Broadcasting Council. Treasury Minister Aleksander Grad is said to support Farfal. Because one member was missing the supervisory board couldn’t dismiss Farfal.

"We will not take over TVP by storm. We are expecting that the security will not let us in, so we will have to go with plan B," said Mr. Szwedo to Gazeta Wyborcza (September 16). Things changed a few days later and the entire management board was fired along with Mr. Farfal.

Mr. Farfal came to the TVP presidency as a political appointee aligned with the League of Polish Families (LPR). His history with the far-right of the Polish political spectrum earned criticism from the start. When the daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza referred to him as a former neo-Nazi, Farfal took the newspaper to court and lost. In August he named two advisors to TVP, both from the LPR, igniting complaints of cronyism. Farfal fired the TVP Information Agency head of finance in May, who was only allowed to clear out her desk accompanied by security officers, ahead of an announcement of 500 job cuts.

He was briefly suspended by the board in July, supported by KRRiT, only to have that decision over-ruled by the Treasury Ministry, technically TVP’s owner.  The board at that time cited financial incompetence.

Farfal was named to the TVP board in 2006, nominated by the LPR when it was part of the ruling political coalition. When that coalition came apart, he took advantage of a board fight and was named TVP President in January this year. In February the French-German culture channel ARTE suspended cooperation with TVP because, it said, of “values” issues.

The recent spat over TVP’s governance comes as the Polish Parliament upheld the President Lech Kaczynski’s veto of yet another media law (September 18) that would have abolished financial support of TVP through a household license fee and replacing it with direct State funding. The bill also would have ceded regulatory authority over TVP from the KRRiT to a newly created Office of Electronic Communications (UKE). 

By the weekend, Farfal was giving interviews, seemingly bunkered in his office, saying he’d insure objective election coverage if allowed to keep his job. Clearly he is not pleased being tarred by the politicians who fought to create the on-going crisis in TVP’s governance. In an interview with Newsweek, tasty bits released to local media Friday (September 25), he said PiS leader and former Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is “making scrambled eggs of society,” the Treasury Minister “beat him like a drum,” current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has a “misconceived idea” and others were “cutting his throat.” The Newsweek interview is set for publication Monday, September 28.

Polish politicians raced to the talk shows to distance themselves from Farfal and point fingers at each other. “How objective can the station be under Farfal after what we saw before the European Parliament elections,” said Jacek Kurski of the PiS to TVN24 (September 27). “The OP (Civic Platform party) is Farfal’s bodyguard,” said Jerzy Wenderlich of the SLD on the same program.

Through all of the recent turmoil Mr. Farfal put forth the appearance of business as usual. There was the digital satellite TV deal with SES Astra, announced September 16, which will offer free channels. Then TVP confirmed participation in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Oslo, Norway, according to ESC fan site esctoday.com (September 18). Details of song and singer selection will be forthcoming. Reasons for the confirmation remain unclear but might have something to do with changing rules for selecting the representative. Or, perhaps Mr. Farfal wanted some good press.