Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced today that the country will protect two major TV stations, TVN and Polsat, from being sold without government approval. TVN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, an American company, and both stations will be added to a list of essential businesses that need special government permission to change ownership. Tusk explained that this move aims to safeguard these stations from takeovers that could potentially harm Poland’s interests, highlighting the urgency of the government’s action.
Warner Bros. has been facing financial difficulties and was considering selling its stake in TVN to investors from Hungary and the Czech Republic. TVN’s open support for Tusk’s left-leaning government has not gone unnoticed, and it is believed to have influenced Tusk’s decision to block this sale despite the company’s wishes. Mark Brzezinski, the American ambassador to Poland affiliated with the Democratic Party, publicly supported Tusk’s choice, further solidifying the influence of TVN’s political alignment on the situation.
