Polish Radio 2 has ceased regular transmission today and is broadcasting only bird song. The action is organised by the station’s staff in protest of drastic cuts of funding, now insufficient to pursue its public mission.

Alicja Baczynska reports

The 24-hour protest comes in the wake of drastic budget cuts, with funding reduced by half to amount to 6 million zloty (an equivalent of 1,4 million euro). The channel, which is part of the public broadcaster Polish Radio, is fully dependent on state subsidies, and has been hit hardest by the lack of stable financing of the public media. The protest has official support of Polish Radio’s board of directors.

The aim of the protest is to draw public attention to the gradually deteriorating financial situation of the channel and in consequence the degradation of one of the most significant elements of the public radio's mission, which constitutes the bulk of the programme's agenda.

Culture in danger!

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