Clash between TVP and Republika reporters on air: 'Why are we making circuses of ourselves?'

In brief

• A Telewizja Republika reporter interrupted a live TVP Info report from outside the KRRiT on 29 October.
• The two reporters clashed on air over the regulator's enforcement of broadcasting law.
• A similar interruption of a TVP "19.30" report happened on 2 November.

On-air confrontation outside the broadcasting regulator

On 29 October, TVP Info reporter Bartłomiej Bublewicz was reporting live from outside the headquarters of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) when Telewizja Republika reporter Michał Gwardyński stepped in front of the camera and began talking over him (TV Republika znów zakłóciła relację TVP Info. Padły mocne słowa – Wprost – wprost.pl) (Starcie reporterów TVP i Republiki. "Po co okłamujecie ludzi?" – onet.pl). Bublewicz was discussing the council's power to penalise media that break broadcasting law, and argued that the regulator was not using those powers against Republika.

What the Republika reporter said

Gwardyński pressed Bublewicz on funds that were supposed to go to sick children and asked how the liquidation of public television was progressing. Bublewicz responded by citing article 18, paragraph 1 of the broadcasting act, which bars programmes from promoting actions against the law or containing content that incites hatred or discrimination.

During the exchange, Gwardyński called the TVP Info broadcast an "anti-Polish smear machine" and told viewers not to watch it ("Nie oglądajcie tej antypolskiej szczujni". Kłótnia reporterów TVP i Republiki, wszystko poszło na żywo – swiatgwiazd.pl). Bublewicz, after leaving the air, said he did not know why such scenes were being staged.

Not an isolated case

The incident was not the first of its kind this week. On 2 November, Republika reporter Wojciech Szymczak interrupted a live TVP "19.30" report by Daniel Chaliński on events in front of the Constitutional Tribunal, calling on viewers to switch to Republika (Reporter Republiki kolejny raz w TVP. Zakłócał relację sprzed Trybunału – Wirtualnemedia.pl). Other Republika reporters had also disrupted TVP journalists in the preceding days.

Context

The clashes come as Telewizja wPolsce24, a sister channel in the Fratria group, introduces a new evening current-affairs programme, "Dzisiaj wPolsce24", promoted with the promise of "hot topics and strong opinions" (W telewizji wPolsce24 nowy program publicystyczny – Wirtualnemedia.pl).