TV Republika scrambles to settle overdue licence fees with regulator
TV Republika raised over 2 million zł in less than nine hours after KRRiT warned of a pending licence suspension, but the regulator says a balance remains.
KRRiT announced that TV Republika failed to meet the deadline for its next terrestrial licence instalment and the prolongation charge, prompting the channel to start an on-air donation campaign. The appeal displayed a progress meter that initially showed only 6 % of the target, but the influx of contributions surged, reaching the full amount of 2 047 313,10 zł in under nine hours, with nearly 30 000 donors. After the regulator applied interest for the delayed payment, it allocated 1 634 572,59 zł to the principal and 412 740,51 zł to interest, leaving an outstanding balance of 150 643,51 zł plus 38 038,49 zł in interest, totalling 188 682 zł.
KRRiT emphasized that the prolongation fee had legally expired due to the missed deadline. Tomasz Sakiewicz, president and editor-in-chief of TV Republika, argues that the station has settled all dues according to the KRRiT Act and awaits a legal basis for any further claim.
