The National
Broadcasting Council

PROBLEMS WITH TVP'S FULFILMENT OF ITS PUBLIC MISSION AFTER 20 DECEMBER 2023
 

LEGAL FRAMEWORK:

The legal basis for fulfilling the public service mission is the Broadcasting Act, the Act on Subscription Fees, the TVP Charter of Obligations, and the TVP Programme Obligation and the Financial Plan, which precisely define the costs of fulfilling the public service mission.
The monitoring shows that TVP did not fulfil its public service mission as it did not distribute TVP3 Regionalna and programmes created by 16 Regional Branches of  Polish Television, TVP Info and TVP World from 20 December 2023. In addition, it did not provide viewers with scheduled main news and current affairs programmes and services.

PROGRAMMES:
According to the TVP Charter of Obligations (a document specifying the tasks arising from the public service mission requirement) agreed with the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) for 2020-2024, TVP SA continuously distributes 39 programmes, including TVP INFO, TVP World, regional programmes and the common-band TVP3 Regionalna.
From information contained in the programme and financial plan (a document specifying how tasks arising from the public service mission are to be carried out) approved for 2023 and 2024, it follows that Telewizja Polska is obliged to broadcast TVP INFO, TVP World, 16 regional programmes and the common band TVP3 Regionalna daily. TVP Info and TVP World are scheduled to run 24 hours a day, the TVP3 common band for about 17.5 hours a day and TVP3 Regional programmes for more than 6 hours a day.

By the switching off of the TVP3 Regionalna’s common band and 16 local programmes on 20 December 2023, viewers were deprived of access to current news from the region, also translated into sign language, local journalism and cultural programmes. Moreover, the broadcasting of the joint TVP3 Regionalna programme was discontinued. TVP2 programme's signal replaced the nationwide common band broadcast. News and interventionist programmes such as Dziennik Regionów, Express Regionów, Głos Regionów, Telekurier, Kryminalna Siódemka, a programme for the deaf entitled Spotkania w świecie ciszy (Meetings in the World of Silence), and a programme with culture creators called Rozmowy bardzo kulturalne (Very Cultura Conversations)  –were taken off the air.
Broadcasting of the TVP3 Regionalna common band was restored on 26 December 2023, but without any local programmes. 
As of 20 December, the airing of local programmes, which werere broadcast by the 16 Regional Branches of Polish Television for viewers in each voivodeship, was stopped. Programmes and current news and affairs programmes were taken off the air:

1. As concerns TVP3 Białystok: Obiektyw, Bez kantów, Gość Obiektywu,
2. As concerns TVP3 Bydgoszcz: Zbliżenia, Rozmowa Dnia,
3. As concerns TVP3 Gdańsk: Panorama, Wywiadówka, Forum Panoramy, Raport gospodarczy, the interventionist programme – w Twojej sprawie,
4. As concerns TVP3 Gorzów Wlkp: Informacje Lubuskie, Rozmowa Dnia - Ring, Rozmowa na czasie, Pamięć i tożsamość,
5. As concerns TVP3 Katowice: News, Aktualne Śląskie, Optyka polityka, Metropuls,
6. As concerns TVP3 Kielce: Informacje, Głos dnia (Voice of the Day), Bez Demagogii, Twarzą w Twarz,
7. As concerns TVP3 Kraków: Kronika, Tematy dnia, Bliżej polityki, Kronika kulturalna,
8. As concerns TVP3 Lublin: Panorama Lubelska, Poranek Między Wisłą a Bugiem, Gość Panoramy, To nas dotyczy, Tydzień między nami,
9. As concerns TVP3 Łódź: Łódzkie Wiadomości Dnia (Łódź News of the Day), Budzi się ludzi, Strefa biznesu, Rozmowa Dnia,
10. As concerns TVP3 Olsztyn: Informacje, Opinie,
11. As concerns TVP3 Opole: Kurier Opolski, Opolskie o porku, Rozmowa Dnia, W Centrum Uwagi,
12. As concerns TVP3 Poznań: Teleskop, Wielkopolska Warta Poznania, Lustra, Rozmowa Dnia (Topic of the Day), W każdej sprawie,
13. As concerns TVP3 Rzeszów: Aktualności, Popołudnie z TVP3 Rzeszów, Konkrety i opinie,
14. As concerns TVP3 Szczecin: Kronika, Podsumowanie dnia, , Wokół nas,
15. As concerns TVP3 Wrocław: Fakty, Fakty o poranku, Rozmowa Faktów,
16. As concerns TVP3 Warszawa (Warsaw): Kurier Warszawy i Mazowsza, Kurier Mazowiecki, Telewizyjny Kurier Warszawski, Warszawski Dzień, Warszawski Dzień Extra, Zawsze na Temat, Twoje Sprawy, Tekieli, krótki przewodnik po duszy, Region Polityka, Gra o Polskę, Prosto z Mazowsza, Prosto z Radomia, Ciemna strona.

Local programmes started to be broadcast again on the following dates: TVP3 Kielce, 24 January 2024; TVP3 Opole, 13 January 2024; TVP3 Olsztyn, 6 January 2024; TVP3 Łódź and TVP3 Lublin, 4 January 2024; and TVP3 Gorzów Wlkp., 3 January 2024, TVP3 Bydgoszcz, TVP3 Gdańsk, TVP3 Katowice, TVP3 Rzeszów, TVP3 Szczecin, TVP3 Wrocław 2 January 2024, TVP Białystok 30 December 2023, TVP Warsaw 29 December 2023, TVP Kraków, 28 December 2023; TVP Poznań, 27 December 2023.
In the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, viewers regained their local programme only after 5 weeks, in the Opole region, after more than three weeks, while most of TVP3's local viewers after two weeks.

Following the reinstatement of the airing of the joint programme of TVP3 and the 16 Regional Branches of TVP3, not all programmes included in TVP's programming and financial plans for 2023 and 2024 were back on the air.

Switching off of the specialised programme TVP INFO
The 24-hour news channel TVP Info was switched off from 20 December 2023. Viewers lost access to current news, up-to-date journalism, documentaries and reportages. Among others, Serwisy Info (Info Services), also in the version for the deaf, the Weather (Pogoda), and the following  programmes were taken off the air: Wstaje dzień, Info Raport, Info Dzień, Teleexpress extra, Teleexpress na deser, Jedziemy, Jedziemy dalej, Minęła 8, Minęła 9, O co chodzi, O tym się mówi, Gość Wiadomości, Minęła 20., W tyle wizji, W tyle wizji extra, W kontrze, Salon dziennikarski, Woronicza 17, Studio Wschód, Studio Zachód, Kobiecym okiem, Między słowami, W pełne świetle, the documentary series Pełny obraz, the political debate programme  – Forum.

From 20 December 2023, the TVP INFO programme was replaced by the TVP1 and the TVP Polonia signals. TVP Info's broadcasts resumed on 29 December 2023. However, most journalistic programmes were removed from its general frame day plan, including Studio Wschód, the only TVP programme entirely devoted to the analyses of events in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic Sea basin, as well as in Asia and the Caucasus, which discussed security issues, particularly important given Russia's aggression against Ukraine and threats of attacks on other countries, and Studio Zachód, a programme devoted to Polish international, European and transatlantic politics. The Studio Wscód (East) programme was no longer available to viewers abroad on TVP Polonia and TVP Wilno (Vilnius).

Switching off the TVP WORLD programme for viewers abroad
The TVP World channel, a unique programme about events in Poland and the situation in the world broadcast around the clock in English, has been unavailable since 20 December 2023. Viewers have lost access to news, current affairs and culture reportages, documentaries, and educational programmes. Journalistic slots on international politics and business Eastern Express, World News, and Business Arena were taken off the air . The TVP WORLD channel broadcasts the TVP Polonia programme signal.

Programme for viewers abroad. TVP Polonia without Polonia 24 programmes.
As of 20 December 2023, the Polonia 24 news service on TVP Polonia, a programme for Poles living abroad, broadcast five times a week, also rebroadcast on TVP Wilno Vilnius), has been discontinued. The Midnight News programme retransmitted from TVP World is also not available.
Programme for audiences abroad TVP Wilno (Vilnius) without Info Wilno (Vilnius) services
TVP Wilno (Vilnius), a programme aimed mainly at Poles living in Lithuania, is obliged to broadcast the news service Info Wilno (Vilnius), which airs six times a week, as well as Info Wilno (Vilnius) Flesz and the publicist programme Studio Wilno (Vilnius), which aired five times a week. From 13 January to 28 January 2024, Info Wilno (Vilnius) and Info Wilno (Vilnius) Flesz services were not broadcast on TVP Wilno (Vilnius).

MAIN NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES:
The programming and financial plans for 2023 and 2024 show that TVP is obliged to broadcast daily news services. In TVP1: the editions of Wiadomości (the News) and Teleexpress; in TVP2, editions of Panorama.

Teleexpress, Wiadomości (the News), and Panorama taken off the air
On 20 December 2023, news programmes were removed from national programmes. Short editions of Wiadomości (the News) from 8:00, 12:00, 15:00 and the main edition were withdrawn. From 21 December, the 7:30 pm news service was broadcast instead of the main Wiadomości (the News). Short editions of the Wiadomości (the News) did not return to the air. Teleexpress was not broadcast from 20 December 2023 to 4 January 2024, returning on the air after 2 weeks. Editions of Panorama, the only news programme on TVP2, both shorter editions and the main edition, were taken off the air on 20 December 2023. The Panorama main edition was moved from 18:00 to 22:30 (Saturdays and Sundays at 22:10). The broadcast resumed on 10 January 2024. The shorter editions of Panorama did not return on the air.

Daily journalism was removed from TVP
In its programming and financial plans for 2023 and 2024, Telewizja Polska committed to broadcasting daily journalism programmes on TVP1: Kwadrans polityczny (5 times a week), Alarm (11 times a week), Magazyn śledczy Anity Gargas  (Anita Gargas' investigative Programme) (2 times a week). After 20 December 2023, these programmes were taken off the air. The last three episodes of Magazyn śledczy Anity Gargas  (Anita Gargas' Investigative Programme) were not broadcast. Instead of the interventionist programme  Alarm aired on 29 December, a political and journalistic talk show was introduced entitled Gość19.30 (19.30 Guest) after the leading 7:30 pm news service programme.
SERVICES:

The Broadcasting Act stipulates that public media's service mission is to also create and provide services other than programmes. According to the Charter of Obligations and the Programme and Financial Plans for 2023 and 2024, Polish TV (Telewizja Polska) provides viewers with its own on-demand audiovisual service – vod.tvp.pl, thematic broadcast services in areas such as information and journalism: tvp.info, regiony.tvp.pl, and makes its offer available in the TVP GO application. 

Lack of access to online and on-demand services

After 20 December 2023, viewers lost access to the TVP.INFO information service. After the service was unblocked on 15 January 2024, Tygodnik.TVP, which included journalistic texts on politics, history and culture, was removed. In the TVP.INFO service, the search function for information and programmes was disabled. On 20 December, access to the TVP3 service and local TVP3 Internet services was blocked, depriving viewers of up-to-date information and programme resources from TVP3's Regional Branches.

The documentary series Reset and Resortowe dzieci's last episode was not broadcast by Telewizja Polska and was removed from the TVP.VOD on-demand platform.   Furthermore, the programmes W tyle wizji, the series Wawa mówi - o historii Warszawy, the cyclical interviews Między słowami and W pełnym świetle, the archival editions of Wiadomości (the News), Panorama and Telexpress were removed from the on-demand platform. 

Due to the suspension of programmes after 20 December, the complete TVP offer was unavailable on the TVP GO application. Viewers lost access to TVP INFO, TVP3 Regionalna and TVP3 Regional Branches. There is still no access to TVP World.

LOSS OF TVP AUDIENCE AND THE ADVERTISING MARKET SHARE FROM 20.12.2023 TO 31.01.2024

The TVP INFO channel ceased broadcasting entirely on 20 December 2023. TVP INFO did not begin broadcasting again until after 29 December 2023.                 
The The following news services were also taken off the air on 20 December 2023:
- Teleexpress - (switched off on 20 December 2023, returned on the air 4 January 2024)
- Panorama - (switched off on 20 December, returned on the air at a different broadcast time on 10 January 2024)
- Wiadomości (the News)  - (switched off on 20 December, replaced by a new 7:30pm news service on 21 December).
These changes are reflected in viewing figures and, therefore, advertising time sales.
Before the signal was switched off, the volume of AMR was slightly higher than a year ago. Still, after the signal was switched on again, the average minute viewership of the TVP INFO programme (counting year-on-year) reached only 27% of the volume of this indicator from a year ago (i.e. a drop of 73%).
Teleexpress had a hundred thousand fewer viewers at the end of January than in the last week of December.
Panorama, on its return to air, has seen a considerable drop in viewership. In the week before 20 December, Panorama had just over one million viewers, while in the last week of January it had just under 400,000.
At the end of January, the 7:30 p.m. news service had almost 20 per cent fewer viewers than Wiadomości (the News). In the week of 4-19 December, Wiadomości (the News) averaged 1,858,985 viewers, while the 7:30 p.m. service between 22 and 28 January had 1,520,882 – almost a fifth less.
Before TVP Info was switched off, the public broadcaster had a 20.5% share of total market GRPs.
On the days when the public information programme was switched off, this share fell to 13.5%.
When TVP Info was switched back on, the public broadcaster Telewizja Polska did not regain its entire GRP share; the share remained 5 percentage points lower.
Losses affected most public service programmes. Only TVP Polonia, whose programme appeared instead of TVP INFO, recorded exceptional increases.

TVP INFO
Average AMR before changes                                  4-19.12.2023                   366 280                                
Average AMR after the restoration of TVP INFO  29.12.2023-28.01.2024     92 781
TVP 3
Average AMR before changes                                   4-19.12.2023                    53 918
Average AMR after the restoration of TVP INFO   29.12.2023-28.01.2024   45 674
News programmes
Panorama
Average AMR before changes                                   4-19.12.2023                 1 032 052
Average AMR one month after changes                22-28.01.2024                   399 865
Wiadomości (the News) / 7.30 pm
Average AMR before changes                                  4-19.12.2023                  1 858 985
Average AMR in the month after changes            22-28.01.2024                 1 520 882
As described above, the value of a TV programme to the advertising industry is linked to its audience ratings. On the other hand, the GRP indicator—Gross Rating Point—allows one to determine the percentage of the target group that was exposed to the advertisements broadcast.
The share in GRP and its changes in the analysed periods:
The TVP S.A. group's share of GRP in 2022 and 2023 oscillated around 20 percent. In November this year, it was 21.44 per cent, and in December – up to the 19th (and therefore, before the switching off of programmes and news services) – 20.65 per cent.

After the changes, public television's share of GRPs was 14.84%, down 28% immediately before the signal was switched off and the services were removed from the schedules.
TVP did not provide documents concerning the broadcasting of programmes and other airings and the provision of services to viewers from 19 December 2023 to 26 January 2024, as requested by KRRiT under Art.10(2) of the Broadcasting Act.

Analysis by the KRRiT Office based on AGB Nielsen Media Research.