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As Russian forces exited the Kherson City region this past week they took to ransacking the local broadcasting center. The building was trashed, equipment looted and worse, said broadcast center manager Mykhailo Svarychevskyi, quoted by Ukrainian media news portal Media Detector (November 12). Transmission towers were not harmed. Until the Russian invasion the facility had been regional headquarters for Ukraine public broadcaster Suspilne.
Kherson was one of the first areas the Russian forces seized. Residents suffered massive casualities in the bombing and missile attacks. To say the least, infrastructure - not limited to water and central heating - was destroyed. Later the Russian Federation “annexed” that region, along with 3 others, never recognized by international bodies. (See more about conflict zones here)
Well, within a day Ukrainian television broadcasts were restored. "Hey, did you tear down the television antennas for us in Kherson and the region?” said presidential office deputy Kyrylo Tymoshenko. “Well, we have already turned on Ukrainian television in the Kherson region.” Quickly installed were 12 digital TV transmitters for Ukrainian channels. Radio channels were also enabled. (See more about media in Ukraine here)
"One of the first (tasks) for our ministry will be the return of Ukrainian citizens' access to Ukrainian mass media in all liberated territories of Kherson region, parts of Mykolaiv region," said Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Taras Shevchenko, in a separate statement. Kherson City residents, those who remained, celebrated the Russian exit with dancing in the streets. An unconfirmed video posted by Reuters (November 11) appears to show Kherson residents tearing down Russian propaganda billboards.
The convenience of SMS messaging is quite tempting. Using these platforms, more personal than chat rooms and social media, are just perfect for those looking for immediate communications, despite well-known security issues. This isn’t the future of engagement, rather more like endless trouble.
Austrian newspaper Die Presse chief editor Rainer Nowak is taking a “pause” from duties, reports Weiner Zeitung (November 7), publisher Styria Media making the announcement after an internal audit. Discovered by the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) were certain mobile communications between Herr Nowak and Thomas Schmid, then general secretary in the Ministry of Finance. He was trolling for an executive position with public broadcaster ORF. (See more about media in Austria here)
“You have to help me with the ORF,” said Herr Nowak, according to transcripts released by WKStA. “Absolutely,” replied Herr Schmidt. The two then bantered about “tips for communicating with (the) editorial staff.” After these details become known - of course, there was an “anonymous complaint” - Herr Nowak apologized for “inappropriate proximity,” saying there was no “deal” with Herr Schmidt. (See more about corruption here)
Coincident with this - and just across town - ORF sent TV news chief editor Matthias Schrom on “immediate vacation.” The WKStA picked up a message thread from 2019 between him and ex-Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) chairperson Heinz-Christian Strache regarding reporting and personnel. Herr Strache gained infamy that year for discussing with a purported Russian influencer in 2017 the sale of tabloid Kronen Zeitung to unnamed oligarchs. It was called the Ibiza Affair. There was video. His political career ended.
Certain state broadcasters suffer dilemma when impossible to ignore news events reflect badly on their masters. In this post-modern, post-truth era managing these inconveniences is just part of the job.
Last Friday afternoon several hundred demonstrators gathered before the Budapest headquarters of state broadcaster MTVA, reported media news portal Media1 HU (November 5). Announced a week earlier, it was organized by independent parliament member representing Budapest Akos Hadhazy, who camped in a tent nearby for that week. The demonstration was meant to illuminate, according to Mr. Hadhazy, the “soft hybrid dictatorship,” well understood by observers of current Hungarian civic life. Teachers and students were in attendance. (See more about media in Hungary here)
MTVA main TV channel M1 reported on the demonstration that evening, somewhat abbreviated. After all, it was right outside their main entrance. The two news reports focused on the teachers who have been raising their voices for better conditions and pay.
Ignored by M1, unsurprisingly, was the demonstration’s main focus, described by Mr. Hadhazy as “a blockage of the factory of lies,” reported AP (November 4). “State media must be taken back by the public,” he said to the crowd of about 1,500. He also called for the replacement of MTVA chief executive Daniel Papp and an end of government advertising. Before being elevated to the top job at MTVA, Mr. Papp gained notoriety as a news reporter/producer engaged in state propaganda efforts. He was named to the MTVA executive board as a reward for those efforts. (See more about propaganda here)
Addressing the demonstrators, Mr. Hadhazy said it is possible “they (MTVA officials) were afraid the protestors would enter the headquarters,” noted Klubradio (November 4).
Most mature adults tend to leave old grudges. Maybe simmering irritation is OK, just to keep life in perspective. But holding on is time consuming, generally useless and bad for mental health.
Taking political power in Polish elections in 2015, the leader of right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczynski set out his agenda. Part of this was “repolonization” of the country’s media sector, at least those parts not falling in lock-step. Media regulator KRRiT became home to political appointees as did the public broadcaster. The playbook copied, effectively, from Viktor Orban’s Hungary included forcing forcing foreign-owned publishers and broadcasters - viewed as insufficiently subservient - to leave town. (See more about media in Poland here)
After a few successes and disappointments, Mr. Kaczynski and the PiS turned their attention to television broadcaster TVN, acquired by Discovery Communications from Scripps Networks in 2018. The politicians challenged US-owned Discovery as falling foul of European Union law restricting to minority holding companies not within the European Economic Area. For purposes of holding TVN Group Discovery incorporated a subsidiary in the Netherlands. The KRRiT renewed the news channel TVN24 operating license.
Not pleased with this set back - as well as considerable negative reaction from various media freedom organizations - the PiS designed an amendment to the country’s Communication Act - Lex TVN - that would, again, force Discovery to divest to a majority Polish owner, preferably friendly to the PiS. After considerable wrangling, the amendment passed the house of Parliament. Alas, late last December President Andrzej Duda vetoed the amendment, effectively killing the plan. Just days earlier the European Commission approved the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia, creating Warner Bros Discovery. (See more about Warner Bros Discovery here)
Speaking to supporters at a political rally this past weekend, Mr. Kaczynski was asked why “the PiS had given up on Lex TVN,” reported Press PL (November 7). "This station is protected by our greatest ally,” he responded. “In the clash with Russia, and this is our biggest opponent, no one else except the US counts. Why is this so? We are not about to understand because TVN was created by a security service, perhaps the Soviet one in Poland.” In truth, TVN was founded in 1995, after the fall of the Soviet Union, by Polish investors.
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