As Polish media headed by eska.pl reports upcoming “Junior Eurovision 2020” contest can be cancelled. The reason of such decision could be disapproval expressed by Program Commission of TVP. They’re calling not only for the contest not to be held in Poland by also to withdraw from the contest at all.
The broadcaster is urgently planning a meeting with Jacek Kurski, Chairman of Telewizja Polska, and Mateusz Matyszkowicz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Telewizja Polska.
This disagreement was raised by the new political crisis in the Polish Government following the dissent of far-right party United Poland.
Program Commission also thinks that this contest has a negative impact on the physical, mental and moral development of children and young people:
“This protection should not be limited only to reducing the emission of content that may have a negative impact on the physical, mental and moral development of children and young people, but should also take into account the impact that these programs have on the children who participate in them. The Program Council requests Telewizja Polska SA to create its own program promoting the artistic activity of children and young people in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act“.
In an interview with the Gazeta.pl, the vice-president of the Council said that Eurovision Junior participants are “treated as an object of pop culture, like a toy by adults”:
“We want to discuss this with the management of television, it seems to us that this formula treats children objectively and has little to do with the mission to raise culture. One may wonder if it is in some way inconsistent with the Broadcasting Act. It seems to us a dangerous direction“.