(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, FEB 10 - Poland's main private channel
TVN and radio stations went off air and newspapers blacked out
their front pages on Wednesday to protest against a proposed
advertising tax for non-state outlets. "This is where your
favourite programme was supposed to be," read a white message on
a black background on the TVN24 news channel. In a statement to
AFP, the channel, owned by the US group Discovery, said the
government proposal had "the intention of restricting their
pluralism and freedom of expression". The front pages of dozens
of national newspapers including the most widely read dailies
Fakt and Gazeta Wyborcza had a message in white on a black
background reading "Media Without Choice". Their websites were
also blacked out. Radio stations also suspended service, with
Radio Zet informing its listeners that the tax would mean
"liquidation for some media businesses". "There is no free
country without independent media. There is no freedom without
freedom of choice," the radio station said. The new tax, which
is expected to take effect later this year, imposes a levy on
advertising revenues of television and radio broadcasters, print
outlets and internet media companies. State media are exempt
from the tax. (ANSA-AFP).
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