A. Romaszewska: I would like everyone to stay, and then I will come back
The former director of Belsat gave an exclusive interview to ERB and informed that she was dismissed a few days before the agreement on financing had to be signed.
Was it unexpected? How did you learn about your dismissal?
It was absolutely unexpected for me. I learned about it when the head of the staff department brought me the order according to which I was dispensed from my duties starting from March 18.
You said that Belsat was your personal project. It is so?
Yes, it is my personal project because it was me who invented it. Nobody could have imagined that it was possible to create television for Belarus before. I was the first to claim it. It used to be considered impossible. But it does not mean that I did it all. It was done by a whole project team consisting of more than 100 people. There would be no channel without them.
Does it mean that some members of the staff may be going to leave the channel?
I hope nobody leaves and the channel continues its existence. My position is my position. It is not the most important thing about it. The most important thing is the existence of the channel. I would like everyone to stay and then I will come back.
Is the future of Belsat undecided now?
It is. I think so because the agreement on financing has not been signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet. It was practically ready and we had to sign it a few days later. Now I do not know what will happen and what TPV will do.
What do you think your dismissal was caused by?
I am afraid that those political forces that do not want to do any harm to Lukashenka may be involved in it. They do not want to oppose him. Do you remember last autumn’s elections? Some politicians congratulated Lukashenka back then, for example, Andrzej Leper.
What are you going to do next?
I will keep doing everything to help the channel and the idea continue. Polish-Belarusian relations have existed for 500 years. No idiot can harm then now.
I hope that there will be no changes of the channel. Maybe it will be just a short break in our work. However, it does not mean that the channel will be closed. I have asked everyone to keep working at a meeting today.
***
Edward Melnikau about the dismissal of Romaszewska: We have to prepare for important events
The presenter of a weekly talk show of “Belsat”, member of BAJ administration Edward Melnikau, got to know about the dismissal of Romaszewska from acquaintances and was surprised. This is what he said in an interview with ERB:
"It was unexpected for me. I think that she is very important as she is the director.
I think it is not easy to eliminate a project like Belsat and it would be a pity to lose it. A lot of people have got used to Belsat. Many people living in Belarus and abroad watch the channel and new people are joining every day. I hope Europe understands the necessity of this channel.
I think that we have to expect some important events to take place soon”.
***
Portal gazeta.pl reports: "More dismissals in TVP. Romaszewska-Guzy and Anita Gargas leave.
The administration of TVP has dismissed the director of TV Polonia and “Belsat” Agnieszka Romaszewska–Guzy. The acting president of TVP Pyotr Farfal said that the former director had doubted the decision of the council in public. Farfal also does not want to see the author of the programme “Special mission” Anita Gargas on TV.
Ms. Romaszewska says that she got to know about her dismissal on Tuesday afternoon and she was not presented any serious reason for it. She stressed that she was worried about the future of “Belsat”. “It may mean the liquidation of the channel”, - said Ms. Romaszewska-Guzy. –– On the whole, “Belsat” is my personal project”.
Pyotr Farfal claimed that there were many reasons to fire Ms. Romaszewska. “I will tell you two of them: doubting the decision of the Council in public, for example at meetings of the Seym, and making statements for the press without the concordance required by the law dating back to 2006”, - informed the acting president of TVP.
According to wprost24.pl, Pyotr Farfal added: “I cannot allow letters to be sent to the supervisory or programme councils of TV Polonia without the permission of the Council. There are no special rules for anyone, be they Romaszewska-Guzy or not”.
The portal reminds that Ms. Romaszewska publicly protested against the reduction of TV Polonia. A special commission of the Sejm on connections with Poles abroad gathered to discuss the issue. The commission was worried about the fact that the channel’s budget had reduced by a quarter in comparison with the last year – it was 54 million zlotys in 2008 and 39 millions – in 2009.
Ms. Romaszewska claimed that it would lead to a refusal from the majority of programmes created within the channel’s “mission” - a huge part of documentaries, publicist, cultural and local lore programmes.
The former director of “Belsat” also urged TVP to be more active in financing “Belsat”. She was the head of the channel from the very beginning of its broadcasting in December 2007.
It was absolutely unexpected for me. I learned about it when the head of the staff department brought me the order according to which I was dispensed from my duties starting from March 18.
You said that Belsat was your personal project. It is so?
Yes, it is my personal project because it was me who invented it. Nobody could have imagined that it was possible to create television for Belarus before. I was the first to claim it. It used to be considered impossible. But it does not mean that I did it all. It was done by a whole project team consisting of more than 100 people. There would be no channel without them.
Does it mean that some members of the staff may be going to leave the channel?
I hope nobody leaves and the channel continues its existence. My position is my position. It is not the most important thing about it. The most important thing is the existence of the channel. I would like everyone to stay and then I will come back.
Is the future of Belsat undecided now?
It is. I think so because the agreement on financing has not been signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet. It was practically ready and we had to sign it a few days later. Now I do not know what will happen and what TPV will do.
What do you think your dismissal was caused by?
I am afraid that those political forces that do not want to do any harm to Lukashenka may be involved in it. They do not want to oppose him. Do you remember last autumn’s elections? Some politicians congratulated Lukashenka back then, for example, Andrzej Leper.
What are you going to do next?
I will keep doing everything to help the channel and the idea continue. Polish-Belarusian relations have existed for 500 years. No idiot can harm then now.
I hope that there will be no changes of the channel. Maybe it will be just a short break in our work. However, it does not mean that the channel will be closed. I have asked everyone to keep working at a meeting today.
***
Edward Melnikau about the dismissal of Romaszewska: We have to prepare for important events
The presenter of a weekly talk show of “Belsat”, member of BAJ administration Edward Melnikau, got to know about the dismissal of Romaszewska from acquaintances and was surprised. This is what he said in an interview with ERB:
"It was unexpected for me. I think that she is very important as she is the director.
I think it is not easy to eliminate a project like Belsat and it would be a pity to lose it. A lot of people have got used to Belsat. Many people living in Belarus and abroad watch the channel and new people are joining every day. I hope Europe understands the necessity of this channel.
I think that we have to expect some important events to take place soon”.
***
Portal gazeta.pl reports: "More dismissals in TVP. Romaszewska-Guzy and Anita Gargas leave.
The administration of TVP has dismissed the director of TV Polonia and “Belsat” Agnieszka Romaszewska–Guzy. The acting president of TVP Pyotr Farfal said that the former director had doubted the decision of the council in public. Farfal also does not want to see the author of the programme “Special mission” Anita Gargas on TV.
Ms. Romaszewska says that she got to know about her dismissal on Tuesday afternoon and she was not presented any serious reason for it. She stressed that she was worried about the future of “Belsat”. “It may mean the liquidation of the channel”, - said Ms. Romaszewska-Guzy. –– On the whole, “Belsat” is my personal project”.
Pyotr Farfal claimed that there were many reasons to fire Ms. Romaszewska. “I will tell you two of them: doubting the decision of the Council in public, for example at meetings of the Seym, and making statements for the press without the concordance required by the law dating back to 2006”, - informed the acting president of TVP.
According to wprost24.pl, Pyotr Farfal added: “I cannot allow letters to be sent to the supervisory or programme councils of TV Polonia without the permission of the Council. There are no special rules for anyone, be they Romaszewska-Guzy or not”.
The portal reminds that Ms. Romaszewska publicly protested against the reduction of TV Polonia. A special commission of the Sejm on connections with Poles abroad gathered to discuss the issue. The commission was worried about the fact that the channel’s budget had reduced by a quarter in comparison with the last year – it was 54 million zlotys in 2008 and 39 millions – in 2009.
Ms. Romaszewska claimed that it would lead to a refusal from the majority of programmes created within the channel’s “mission” - a huge part of documentaries, publicist, cultural and local lore programmes.
The former director of “Belsat” also urged TVP to be more active in financing “Belsat”. She was the head of the channel from the very beginning of its broadcasting in December 2007.
