Poland's PM urged to assist Belsat TV
Ivonka Survilla, Stanislau Shushkevich, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Angelica Borys sign a letter to Donald Tusk.
The petitioners thank the Polish authorities for the support of the only independent Belarusian-language TV-channel by now, and express their concern that such precious initiative might be neglected, informs Radio Liberty.
They mean the lack of financing which prevents "Belsat" from normal development. Last November, the TV-channel was forced to give up live broadcasting and most of the publicistic programs.
The Polish Press Agency (РАР) informs, that the country's MFA (the main sponsor of "Belsat") is gradually decreasing the financial support to the channel (20,9 million zlotych in 2008, 17,6 million - last year, and 17 million zlotych planned for this year. Another participant of the agreement on creating the TV-channel - The Polish Civil Television (TVP) also considerably decreased financial support of "Belsat" this year.
The authors of the letter to Tusk underline that "Belsat" needs help from the European structures. Although the TV-channel gets support from the governments of Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and the Nordic States Council of Ministers, the EU renders no financial aid.
The Polish PM's office has not commented on the appeal yet.
