Discovery Threatens Treaty Complaint Over Poland's Media Ownership Vote
Discovery filed a notice of dispute with the Polish government warning of formal action over Poland's treatment of its TVN broadcast network, the programmer said Thursday. A World Bank International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes tribunal would hear such…
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a complaint under the 1990 bilateral investment treaty between the country and the U.S. Discovery said the notification "follows Poland’s discriminatory campaign" against TVN, including not renewing TVN24's broadcasting license and a vote Wednesday in the lower house of the Polish parliament in favor of legislation that would ban upstream foreign media ownership in the country. Discovery said the legislation is "the latest assault on independent media and freedom of the press, and takes direct aim at Discovery’s TVN, the country’s leading independent broadcasting group and news provider, as well as one of the largest U.S. investments in Poland." It said absent a "positive resolution," it would start arbitration proceedings. Discovery has operated in Poland for nearly 25 years, but "the current Polish government’s damaging and discriminatory actions ... leave us no choice but to bring charges under the US-Poland bilateral investment treaty," said Discovery International CEO JB Perrette. "This legislation will have a chilling effect on U.S. and European investment into the Polish economy, and we will aggressively defend our rights.” Discovery said the 1990 treaty includes obligations of non-impairment by arbitrary and discriminatory measures, nondiscrimination in granting licenses and the prohibition on expropriation without compensation. The U.S. was "deeply troubled" by the legislation targeting TVN, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. "Poland has worked for decades to foster a vibrant and free media [and] this draft legislation would significantly weaken the media environment the Polish people have worked so long to build," he said: It "threatens media freedom and could undermine Poland’s strong investment climate." Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't comment Thursday.