The Bird Is The Word! Polish Radio tation Protest With The Bird Song
Updated : Jul 9, 2009
A public radio station in Poland aired non-stop bird-song for 24 hours in a bizarre protest against plummeting license fee revenues that journalists say are undermining commercial-free programming.
"Our existence is threatened by a dramatic decline in revenue from the audiovisual license fee," announcers repeated on Dwojka radio once every 10 minutes to interrupt the otherwise constant warbling.
Every Polish household owning a radio or television is required to pay a public broadcasting licence fee, but a draft media reform law proposing it be removed by January 2010 has encouraged many to stop making payments already.
Specialising in classical music and cultural programming, Poland's Dwojka two programme is commercial-free and entirely financed by the public license fee.
"Don't condemn us to silence pay your license fee," read a statement on the Dwojka website. "Keeping the license fee is the only way to maintain our cultural, literary and musical programming at its current level."
The proposed reform would see public broadcasters funded directly from the annual state budget.
It has been criticised by the conservative opposition and must still gain parliamentary and presidential approval before coming into effect.
VeryHappyPig says haven’t you heard the bird is the word. VHP reckons this is the best form of protest ever.
