Polish lawmakers pass bill seen as limiting media freedom

Poland’s parliament has voted in favor of a bill that would force Discovery Inc., the U.S. owner of Poland’s largest private television network, to sell its Polish holdings

WARSAW, Poland -- Poland’s parliament voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would force Discovery Inc., the U.S. owner of Poland’s largest private television network, to sell its Polish holdings and is widely viewed as an attack on media independence in Poland. The draft legislation would prevent non-European owners from having controlling stakes in Polish media companies. In practice, it only affects TVN, which includes TVN24, an all-news station that is critical of the nationalist right-wing government and has exposed wrongdoing by Polish authorities. Lawmakers voted 228-216 to pass the legislation, with 10 abstentions. The bill must still go to the Senate, where the opposition has a slim majority. The upper house can suggest changes and delay the bill's passage, but the lower house can ultimately pass it as it wishes. It would then go to President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the right-wing government.