A N A LYS I S Public broadcasting in Europe Poland – political instrumentalization, structural weaknesses, and the challenges of genuine reform Dr Sonia Horonziak I. Introduction: Political and Social Context of Public Service Broadcasting in Poland The position of public media established during the com­munist Polish People’s Republic(1944–1989) for years linked the ruling party with the control of the media realm and their content. In the countries that emerged after the collapse of the communist bloc in 1989–1991, a necessary transition toward democratic understanding of public me ­dia took place, but with a differing results. Poland, at ­tempting to distance itself from the communist past, be ­gan to adopt the so-called hybrid-liberal model, which resulted in the process of strong commercialization, trans ­lating into the tabloidization of media content 1 . This also allowed for the development of external media market plu ­ralism, rich in commercial stations. However, subsequent years also exposed the growing politicization of the media, a lack of transparency, and the nexus between political, business, and media elites. One of the most significant manifestations of this process, which came to light, was the Rywin affair 2 – a corruption scandal involving politics and media representatives. The ultimate turn toward the politicized media model became increasingly evident in Poland after 2015. 1 B. Dobek-Ostrowska, Polski system medialny. Trzy dekady po upadku komunizmu: dynamika procesu zmian na tle Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, w: Polski system medialny w procesie zmian. Tom 2, ed. J. Kępa-Mętrak, P. Ciszek, Kielce 2022. 2 The Rywin affair— a corruption scandal named after Polish film producer Lew Rywin, who in 2002 was accused of arranging a$17.5 million bribe to influence a new media law, allegedly on behalf of the then prime minister’s Leszek Miller political circle. State of public service broadcasting in Poland 1