Polish lawmakers pass bill seen as limiting media freedom

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s parliament has voted in favor of a bill that would force Discovery Inc., the U.S. owner of Poland’s largest private television network, to sell its Polish holdings. The bill, if it gets the Polish president’s approval, is widely viewed as a blow to media independence in Poland. The draft legislation would prevent non-European owners from having controlling stakes in Polish media companies. In practice it only affects TVN, which includes TVN24, an all-news station that is critical of the nationalist right-wing government and has exposed wrongdoing by Polish authorities. The ruling party has long sought to nationalize media in foreign hands, arguing it is necessary for national security.