How do you think public media in Poland should be funded – by license fee, direct taxation or other means?
After the daylong strike by Polish Radio 2 Wednesday – the first in the radio’s long history – drawing attention to the drastic financial situation the broadcaster is experiencing, thenews.pl would like to open a debate on the future of Poland’s public media and how best to fund it.
Currently, public media – television and radio – are funded by license fee. Poland’s government argues, however, that, as only 40 percent subscribe, it is effectively an uncollectable tax.
A media bill to abolish the fees awaits the signature of President Lech Kaczynski after passing through both houses of parliament. President Kaczynski will either veto the bill or send it on to the Constitutional Tribunal to see if it is in keeping with the Polish Constitution.
But what do you think? Is the license fee the best way forward – it is, after all, the preferred method in many European countries. Or would it be better to have a predictable sum of income, annually, from direct taxation? Or maybe public television should find other sources of funding, such as voluntary subscriptions and/or sponsorships?
The DEBATE feature is a chance to make your voice heard. Please leave a comment below.
Related: Polish Radio 2 on strike, thenews.pl, 8 July 2009.