As in the case of public radio, public television took the leading position in the Polish media sector. Even if the above-mentioned limitations on TVN's signal reach are taken into consideration, there is little doubt that most Poles willingly choose to watch public television among the myriad of possibilities on offer. Why so? A comparison of the types of programmes transmitted by all television stations shows that the share of entertainment programmes and films on TVP1 and TVP2 does not differ from what the strictly commercial competition serves.
Polish public television is obliged to fulfil its mission outlined in the law governing radio and television, according to which 15% of its air time is given over to information and current affairs programmes, 10% to education, 10% for art and culture and 15% to family broadcasting, children's and youth-related programmes. The key to understanding the commercial success of public stations is their skill in meeting both this mission statement and the commercial, hour-based programming schedules of these stations. Educational tasks directed towards children and teenagers are in the morning and afternoon, while ambitious cultural programmes are transmitted in the late evening. As a result, TVP turns a profit, which is partly used for its own commercial productions enabling efficient competition with private television stations and partly to support more ambitious productions, including national cinematography.
Undoubtedly, another source of TVP's success is Poles' customs and habits developed over decades when there was no alternative to public television. Most people think, for example, that the time of the main news programme of the day is set at 19.30. The daily programming schedules and selection of films on TVP to a large extent determine its competitors' programming schedules. Those managing public television have skillfully adapted their programmes to meet viewer demands. For many years now monthly telemetric polls of the most viewed programmes on Polish television put TVP's productions highest.
This skill in juggling the commercial, the educational and cultural has been noted by European institutions. The Television Committee and Television Department of the European Broadcasters Union (EBU), for example, awarded TVP for its achievements in 2002.
Recognition was given for its high level in meeting its public mission, as well as maintaining high standards of programming, financial stability, cost control, sustaining audiences on a very high level and strongly competitive market, for its leading role in the development of digital technology and its readiness to open new theme channels.
A public television channel worth focusing on is TVP Polonia, in operation for over a decade now. Polonia deserves a great deal of credit for maintaining a relationship and communicating with Poles living abroad. The station broadcasts specially prepared programmes for foreign viewers of Polish roots, which is transmitted via satellite. While adapting Polish films to show on TVP Polonia, there are English subtitles. In this way it is easier for the next generation of viewers of Polish origins to get to know the Polish language.
The commercial stations, Polsat and TVN, while competing with public television, have sought to concentrate on selected audiences. Polsat, the first to debut on the Polish market, originally broadcast in the field of what one may call 'mass culture,' including hit movies and sports. TVN, in turn, has consistently broadcast to a younger, mainly urban, audience, those whom advertisers see as their main target group.
In 2001, TVN moved into the reality show market (with a Polish version of 'Big Brother'), an area that had already trodden a successful path in the West. It hit the bull's eye. The station not only discovered that Poles share many of the tastes that dominate in other European countries, but also how to earn money on interactivity related to new technologies (SMS, Internet). The bosses of TVN accurately noticed the readiness of the Polish audience to take part in a new type of entertainment that requires from its viewers the use of new communication technologies.
The picture of the Polish television market wouldn't be complete if we failed to mention that, apart from television working on an 'open-to-air' basis, that is broadcasting encoded programmes via land, there are in Poland several dozen Polish-language channels available by satellite and on cable television networks.
TV Trwam, for example, is a station with a religious character that has been on air since mid-2003. It is the second attempt in Poland to bring into being a Catholic-based television station. The first attempt was TV Plus, set up by the Franciscan Order. The station's ambition was to combine commercial and Church-related missions, but its owners did not manage to ensure long-term financing of the station. The Franciscans are now trying to reactivate TV Plus by seeking co-operation with a new production company. In turn, the above-mentioned TV Trwam is an initiative of the Redemptionist Fathers, and is being talked of as a television version of Catholic radio station, Radio Maryja. Unlike Puls, Trwam television will only be broadcast via satellite and cable.
It is also possible to receive, apart from the original Polish television stations, and Plus and Trwam, many foreign stations with Polish-language versions, via Polish cable television and satellite. For example: Discovery, Eurosport and movie channels like Ale Kino, TCM, Europa Europa and others. Over half of all households in Poland watch television via cable, their own satellite dish or via a paid decoder of satellite digital platform. This means the Polish television viewer has real choice. Competition between television stations is indeed sharp.
