Polish Parliament Advances Media Bill US Denounces

WARSAW - Polish lawmakers have advanced a bill that the opposition says aims to silence a U.S.-owned news channel critical of the government, leading to a swift denunciation from the United States, one of Warsaw's most important allies.

Washington had warned that failure to renew the license of Discovery-owned news channel TVN24 could jeopardize future investments in Poland, while opposition politicians have condemned the bill as an attack on media freedoms. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "deeply troubled" by passage of the bill by the lower house of parliament, which he said targeted the most-watched independent news station in Poland and one of the largest U.S. investments in the country. "Large U.S. commercial investments in Poland tie our prosperity together and enhance our collective security," he said. "This draft legislation threatens media freedom and could undermine Poland’s strong investment climate," Blinken said in a statement.