Discovery obtains Dutch license for Polish news station

The U.S. company Discovery Inc. says it has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN 24 into Poland

WARSAW, Poland -- U.S. company Discovery Inc. has been granted a Dutch license that would allow it to keep broadcasting its independent news channel TVN24 into Poland. The announcement Monday comes as Poland's state broadcasting authority has for a year and a half refused to renew TVN24's license, which expires Sept. 26. The independent television channel is watched by millions of people daily in Poland and has published reports that criticize the country's right-wing nationalist government. In another challenge for Discovery, the lower house of Poland's parliament gave initial approval last week to a bill which — if it gets final passage and the president's approval — would force Discovery to sell its controlling share in its Polish network. “This license does not in any way solve the situation we have with the new law,” said Kasia Kieli, Discovery’s president and managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The future of TVN and freedom of press in Poland is still at risk.”