Polish viewers await state TV’s evening newscast for signs of new government’s changes in the media

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Viewers in Poland were waiting Thursday for the main evening newscast on state television TVP to see first signs of changes in the media planned under the country’s new, pro-European Union government.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose Cabinet took office last week, has promised to free the outlet of the former ruling conservatives’ propaganda and divisive policies.

Police and security forces erected barriers in front of TVP’s main building in the Polish capital, Warsaw, after leaders of the Law and Justice party that was ousted from power following elections two months ago began a sit-in inside the building on Wednesday to protest the changes.

Some remained inside on Thursday, when police only allowed authorized employees into the TVP building.

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The government on Wednesday said it had fired and replaced the directors of the state television and radio outlets and the government-run news agency. They had been under control of the right-wing Law and Justice party during its eight years in power, and were used as the government mouthpiece, denigrating government critics and the opposition and spreading eurosceptic views.

Tusk’s administration said it seeks to reestablish independent media in Poland in a legally binding and lasting way.

The change of TVP management was sudden and the new editorial team apparently had no time to prepare a full evening newscast on Wednesday. Instead, a newly appointed anchor came on the air to explain the situation, promising unbiased newscasts would start on Thursday.

Independent media reports were saying that apart from the new content, the evening news format on the main TVP1 Channel would be different, as well as its name.

President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the previous ruling team, has criticized the steps by Tusk’s government regarding the media.