A new bill which proposes that sixty percent of all music aired on radio stations must be in the Polish language has been met with mixed reactions.

The move comes after a bill, passed in 1992, stipulated that 33 percent of music aired by radio stations must be in the Polish language, although it did not state when the music must be aired.

However, an amendment to the bill, which is part of the so-called Media Package put forward by the Culture Ministry, states that between 5am and midnight 60 percent of music aired by radio stations must be in Polish.

Commercial stations have reacted by stating that the bill is “trash.”

“We will be forced to play songs which no-one likes just to fulfill the terms of the new bill,” Adam Czerwinski, music director of the popular RMF radio station told the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Politicians, meanwhile, believe that the new regulations will promote Polish music on air, as well as giving a chance for new Polish musicians to get their voice heard.

Polish artists who sing in English are also not included in the bill. Aga Zaryan, a Polish jazz vocalist, only sings in English, the daily reports, yet her albums have been awarded gold and platinum status in Poland.

“There are no reasons to evaluate music because of language,” Katarzyna Nowicka, an artist known as Novika told Rzeczpospolita. “Since I remember, songwriters penning songs in English have been criticised, now they’re also getting the boot from the State.” (jb)