In recent years, it could count on generous transfers from state-owned companies. The generous source dried up shortly after the elections, and Tomasz Sakiewicz’s television faced a difficult financial problem.
TV Republika makes payments easier and the website has been launched
Initially, after taking over journalists from TVP, Telewizja Republika began intensively appealing for donations from viewers. In each broadcast, people were encouraged to make transfers and provided details and account numbers. However, this procedure was quite convoluted and may have been discouraging for people less versed in modern online media. After three months, TV Republika finally launched a special website resembling all crowdfunding websites, which allows for easier payments.
Telewizja Republika is asking for donations Photo Republika1click / frame
This is a financing model that is nothing new in Poland. The same principle works, among others: Radio 357, although unlike TV Republika, 357 does not hide the amount it collects from its patrons each month (currently it is approximately PLN 100,000 a month from 50,000 patrons). In the case of Republika, the transfers do not go directly to the television supported by viewers, but to the Independent Media Foundation, and it is not known how much the television has managed to collect for its needs so far – the website for transfers shows only a few of the most recent donations.
In recent years, it has received several transfers worth millions of zlotys from the government. As reported by the website, in spring 2023 it was PLN 5.7 million from the budget reserve, in 2017 and 2018 – PLN 7.2 million for the construction of the Puszcza.tv platform. Over the years, the government has spent “hundreds of thousands of zlotys” on media advertising under the patronage of the Independent Media Foundation (the beneficiaries are TV Republika, “Sieci”, “Gazeta Polska Dzień”, “Do Rzeczy”). The Foundation has finished publishing its financial statements for 2019 – what happened later is partly known from publicly available data from individual ministries and state-owned companies. As reported at the beginning of the year, the PiS government paid “at least PLN 19.5 million” to Tomasz Sakiewicz’s media companies through various channels – including the Independent Media Foundation.
TV Republika’s higher expenses
In December, the previously niche TV Republika took over a significant number of former TVP employees. They began to appear on the air, among others: Michał Rachoń, Rafał Patyra or – stars of old public media. Unofficial information quickly began to reach the media that the stars, accustomed to the standards from Woronicza and Plac Powstańców, were not particularly satisfied with the technical conditions prevailing at TV Republika.
Although the station’s viewership increased dramatically by several thousand percent, the number of advertisers who, regardless of the reach offered by television, decreased significantly. In addition, there is the cut off from financing from public money and the simultaneous need to modernize the studio.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
