Production, purchase and broadcasting of news, sports, entertainment programs as well as television series and movies aired in our various channels is the foundation of our television operations. Millions of viewers of our channels constantly mobilizes us to increase the portfolio of channels and offer diverse content adjusted to viewers’ needs.
Corporate Social Responsibility Report for 2020
We set standards
At the moment we have 36 channels, including our main channel, POLSAT. In addition we have 6 channels cooperating with us which are linked to Polsat Group either capital-wise or by joint broadcasting projects. Trust and appreciation of our viewers are proven by the popularity of the channels they choose to watch. TV Polsat ended 2020 at the top of audience rankings. In the commercial viewers group (aged 16-49), which is most popular among advertisers, POLSAT had 9.5% audience share, TVN – 9.6%, TVP1 – 5.7%, TVP2 – 6.4% 7.2%. The audience share of the thematic channels of TV Polsat was also near the top of viewership rankings and amounted to 15.4%. "Wydarzenia” (News) is our flagship news program which is broadcasted in Polsat and Polsat News channel. The first edition of the program was broadcasted on October 11, 2004 in Polsat channel. During the 16 years “Wydarzenia” won the trust of viewers and today it is among the most popular news programs in Polish television. According to IBRIS survey for Onet.pl on the reliability of news programs published in June 2020, “Wydarzania” and Polsat News are respectively considered to be the most objective news service and TV channel in Poland. In our journalism we not only inform, but also try to help viewers, whenever we have such a possibility. The following programs are an example of socially responsible journalism: The editors of “Państwo w Państwie” program received numerous awards for their tough, but at the same time very fruitful work, including among others Andrzej Woyciechowski honorary award presented by Radio Zet, the main prize of the 14th edition of Władysław Grabski Contest, as well as the “Golden Scale” of the Polish Bar Council or the award of “Freedom of speech” and Grand Press 2012 award in the category of Journalism.
Portfolio of TV Polsat channels
Objectivity as the basis of our journalistic activities
Socially engaged journalism
Good practice “Nasz nowy dom”(Our new home) is a special TV show in the portfolio of TV Polsat (a Polsat Group company). it brings joy and hope for families from various parts of Poland. In each episode specialists (an architect and a team of builders) race against time and difficulties to assure a new home for a selected family, a family which has been sometimes hurt by fate or plagued by financial or health problems, or orphaned. The program is hosted by Katarzyna Dowbor who with great passion and involvement helps make the program’s participants’ dreams come true. 2020 was a very special year for the program’s team. It was the 15th anniversary season and episode no. 200 was aired. Thanks to the support of the sponsors, TV Polsat carried out repair works in many houses and flats while also providing some basic furnishing, including state-of-the-art TV sets with access to hundreds of information, educational and entertainment programs from Cyfrowy Polsat as well as tablets, smartphones and Internet access from Plus. Already more than 650 people live in refurbished houses and flats.
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Our new home
Polsat’s viewers may count on great entertainment – cabarets, movies, TV series and game shows enjoy unwavering popularity with millions of viewers. Popular “Dancing with the Stars. Taniec z gwiazdami” show is regularly watched by millions of Poles. Apart from being a spectacular dance show, the program has also become the space to showing successful social integration of disabled persons. Several dancers with various disabilities have appeared on the dancefloor , wishing to demonstrate to viewers that anything is possible and the limitations is really something that we create for ourselves.
Best entertainment
Good practice The 11th edition of “Dancing with the Stars” was yet another with the participation of a disabled person - Sylwester Wilk, a sportsman who lost his leg. In the 9th edition it was Joanna Mazur, a blind track and field athlete who won the edition. Jan Mela, a disabled explorer, participated in the second edition of the show, while one of the participants of the 7th edition was Iwona Cichosz, the Miss Deaf World. The 9th edition of “Dancing with the Stars" was also the first entertainment show in Polsat with audio description for the blind and visually impaired, provided live during the episode. A Polsat Sport journalist, Aleksandra Szutenberg, became the eyes for those who thanks to her words could feel the special thrill of the dance show. Audio description involves description of a the visual layer of a program. In a movie or a theater play the reader describes the costumes, the setting and the action , in between the parts spoken by the actors. However during “Dancing with the Stars” show the description is not only restricted to this. To meet the expectations of those who want to “see” the show this way, Aleksandra Szutenberg had a long talk with a blind athlete, Joanną Mazur. She learned from her that the dancers’ costumes and the setting in the studio are not everything that blind audiences would like to know. What is most important for them are the emotions connected with a live show and that is what Aleksandra Szutenberg is trying to convey. To turn on audio description, press sound track change button on the remote controller and select alternative sound setting. The 7th edition of the show in 2017, when Iwona Długosz who is deaf and mute was one of the participants, was the first time in history when Polsat introduced the text for deaf people displayed during a live show. Good practice „Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo” is a Polish entertainment show which has been on Polsat channel since 8 March 2014. It is based on a Spanish format ”Your Face Sounds Familiar”. The winner of each episode donates every week a check for 10 thousand zloty and in the final edition a check for 100 thousand zloty to a charity cause – to support an ill person struggling with some disease, an orphanage, or an animal shelter. During the 13 editions of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” show over 100 artists underwent over 1 000 transformations and many of them were absolutely perfect! They donated over PLN 2 million to selected charity causes. In 2020 the show was won by Paweł "Czadoman" Dudek who decided to donate the prize to "Rak’n’Roll" Foundation (a foundation fighting cancer – Rak means cancer in Polish). A special Christmas episode was actually produced for the first time, instead of just showing a compilation of parts of earlier shows. Ten guests, who appeared in the program before, participated in the special edition. As a result of a jury vote the winners of the special episode were ex aequo: Katarzyna Skrzynecka, Adam Strycharczuk, Gosia Andrzejewicz and Czadoman. The prize, in the amount of 100 thousand zloty, was donated to Polsat Foundation.
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Support for disabled people and diversity
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Charity goal of the “Your face sounds familiar” show
Polsat SuperHit Festiwal 2020, which was planned for 22-24 May 2020 did not take place. The event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemics, with the decision having been taken while keeping in mind the health and safety of a dozen or so thousand spectators who attend the event in Opera Leśna in Sopot as well as several hundred of our employees and associates who prepare and produce the event. Our entertainment offer is also enriched by several popular TV series, including “Przyjaciółki” (Friends), “W rytmie serca” (To the rhythm of the heart), “Gliniarze” (Cops), “Pierwsza miłość” (First Love), “Świat według Kiepskich” (The world according to the Kiepski Family) and “Ślad” (Trace). Just like every other December 24, on Christmas Eve we saw two special events in TV Polsat: „Golec uOrkiestra. Christmas Carols with John Paul II” on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Pope’s birthday, and the most beautiful Christmas carols sang by artists in Our Lady of Sorrows Sanctuary in Mariańskie Porzecze. The singers who participated in the ”Great Carol Singing with Polsat included Sanah, Enej, Eleni, Sylwia Grzeszczak, Dawid Kwiatkowski, Basia Kurdej-Szatan and Rafał Szatan, Stanisława Celińska as well as Sebastian Karpiel-Bułecka. This year’s New Year’s Eve was totally different because all of us had to stay home. That is why – specially for its viewers – TV Polsat organized, in its studio, the biggest house party in Poland! Such artists as Bajm, Doda, Sylwia Grzeszczak, Dawid Kwiatkowski, Enej, Alicja Majewska, Czadoman, Michał Szpak, Daj to głośniej, Sławomir, Stefano Terrazzino and Liber&InoRos performed live. Viewers also heard such hits as Bailando and Vamos a la Playa performed by Loony, while those who love the music of the 90’s had great time listening to Fun Factory band! Sylwestrowa Moc Przebojów (New Year’s Eve Power of Hits) could be watched in Polsat main channel, on IPLA.TV, on Interia.pl web portal as well in in Polsat News channel. The 17th edition Mikołajkowy Blok Reklamowy (St. Nicholas Day Commercial Block) attracted over 7 million viewers. Thanks to such a high audience we managed to collect PLN 1.6 million. Once again the event organized by TV Polsat and Polsat Media advertising bureau turned out be a huge success and the entire collected amount will be donated to treatment and rehabilitation of the children who are under the care of the POLSAT Foundation. During the 17 editions of Mikołajkowy Blok Reklamowy that have taken place to-date we collected over PLN 21.6 million (more in Chapter 1.7.1. Polsat Foundation). Taking into account the average audience figures, during the four days of this year’s Christmas holiday we won in the commercial viewers group (10.5 %), and took the second spot, right after TVP1, in the all viewers group in Poland (achieving a very good result of over 8%).
Thanks to TV Polsat, Polish viewers have the opportunity of watching the most important sports events which are followed by hundreds of millions of people around the world. We show the most popular and the most thrilling competitions and sports stars. Broadcasting of major events also means popularization of numerous disciplines of sport, which often stimulates people of all ages to practice a given sport.
Best sports
On the one hand it encourages children and teenagers to go outdoors and get interested in sports, and on the other it often helps adults in deciding to devote at least part of their leisure time to sports. For all sport fans we have prepared the “Athletes” program. There the viewers will find reports from sports events, interviews with sport stars as well as practical advice given by experts. They will also come across interesting people involved in sports and learn about unique places on a sport map of Poland. Starting from the 2018/2019 season, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches are shown in Polsat channels. Polsat has launched the most modern and the biggest sports studio in Poland and each program is visually realized using state-of-the-art technologies – VIZRT, augmented reality (AR) and 3D models as well as a virtual studio. At the end of the year Polsat Sport channel, Polsat’s sports engine, received the “Fighter of the Year” award for its bold moves in this very special time, including introduction of a breakfast television show ”Morning with Polsat Sport”, as well as showing of archival sport documentaries and the station’s own productions presenting less popular sports which are gaining notice thanks to Polsat Sport channel. The award was presented by ”Media&Marketing Polska,” a nationwide magazine devoted to the mass media, advertising and marketing.
Polsat Group is heavily involved in cinema productions, both the co-productions as well as in production of own titles. Digital Artists Zone (CST) operates within the Cyfrowy Polsat Group. It is a unique program in Poland for supporting domestic film productions. We offer to the filmmakers an opportunity for submitting their projects which could then gain the Group’s support in the fields of production, promotion and distribution.
Involvement in cinema productions
Since the beginning of CST’s operations, the titles produced by CST have been very successful commercially (a total of 12 films were watched by more than 11.5 million viewers) Last year two new titles hit the cinemas and were watched by nearly 3 million viewers before the March lockdown: In spite of the difficulties that the film industry faced in 2020 because of the pandemics, we were able to produce 3 feature films which are planned to be shown in cinemas in autumn of 2021: Additionally, TFP Sp. z o.o. will release its own family production entitled ”Czarny młyn” (The black mill) which was directed by Mariusz Palej. Our Super Polsat channel – the first channel in Poland and Europe in which most of the programming is adjusted to the needs of people with sight and/or hearing impairment – is more and more popular among viewers. The offer of Super Polsat includes the best content produced by TV Polsat – great entertainment, cooking and music programs as well as the best TV series which have acquired faithful fans. The schedule also includes well-known blockbuster movies.
For people with sight and/or hearing impairment
Good practice Polsat News, Polsat Group’s news station, has been the first commercial news station to introduce live captioning, mainly for deaf people and people with impaired hearing. Since February 2020 the main edition of “Wydarzenia” (the News) and ”Wydarzenia Wieczorne” (the Evening News) (a program which is already broadcasted with interpretation to sign language) as well as the station’s journalistic programs, including ”Gość Wydarzeń” (Guest of the News), ”Wydarzenia i Opinie” (News and Opinions), ”Interwencja Extra” (Intervention Extra), ”Skandaliści” (The Scandalmongers”) and ”Prezydenci i Premierzy” (Presidents and Prime Minsters), have been all available with captioning upon selecting a relevant feature in a TV set. Live captioning is realized while using the method of respeaking with facilitation. Respeaking has been used for nearly 20 years now. It is used, among others, by British and American TV stations. The method was first used by BBC in 2001. In Polsat News a team composed of a respeaker and a facilitator prepares, on an on-going basis, the captions which are displayed to viewers. This way practically every person following a program with muted sound can still watch it with the full content being conveyed, instead of just reading the information displayed in a ticker. The captioning is prepared by the Dostępni.eu team which already worked with TV Polsat earlier, when preparing the live captioning for the deaf in "Dancing with the Stars. Taniec z Gwiazdami" show.
New 2020
Polsat News with captioning
We also strictly follow the obligations and the restrictions regarding advertising. Commercial blocks in our channels are clearly distinguishable from broadcasts and do not take more than 12 minutes within one hour. Our announcements with information about our own programming do not take more than 2 minutes within one hour. In TV Polsat channels – according to regulations – at least 33% of the quarterly programming are broadcasts initially developed in Polish, and over 50% are European broadcasts, coming mainly from the EU member states. Our announcements with information about our own programming do not take more than 2 minutes within one hour. All sponsored programs are clearly marked as such. We also reveal product and service placements.
Strictly regulated commercial time
Polsat Media Advertising Office offers a portfolio of 79 television channels – a big nationwide Polsat channel and an extensive range of thematic channels owned by Polsat Group and by other Polish and foreign broadcasters. The total audience share of the channels serviced by Polsat Media in terms of advertising was nearly 39% in the commercial viewers’ group (people aged 16-49) in 2020. Polsat Media means also a comprehensive offer of non-TV products, including Polsat Media Online (video and display advertising), with full advertising support of Interia.pl Group, Polsat Media AdScreen (digital media OOH), Polsat Media AdTube (a platform associating popular Internet creators), Polsat Media Digital Audio (audio commercials in the Internet) and Muzo.fm pan-regional radio station. Polsat Media is the biggest advertising office not only in terms of the number of channels supported but also in terms of audience shares and share in the TV advertising market.
Polsat Media Advertising Office
As a group operating on the market which is subject to numerous legal regulations, we are subject to constant monitoring and verification of our activities by regulatory authorities. In the previous years the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) occasionally questioned selected aspects of marketing communications of Cyfrowy Polsat and Plus network – explanatory proceedings and our appeals against some of these decision are still pending In 2020 TV Polsat was fined PLN 15 thousand by the National Broadcasting Council in connection with presenting “Nowa Gra+” (New Game+) program in Polsat Games channel, and PLN 20 thousand for showing “Botoks” (The Botox) movie. The Company filed protests against both of these decisions and no final rulings have been issued yet. In 2020 there were no other incidents of non-compliance with the regulations or voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship, that resulted in fines being imposed. However, the decision issued by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection on 30 December 2016, by virtue of which penalties and publication obligations were imposed on Cyfrowy Polsat and Polkomtel in connection with the content of one of smartDOM program advertisements from 7 years ago, became final and binding. The links to the decision can be found on the companies’ websites. We are the signatories of several voluntary industry agreements concerning ethics of program broadcasting. The following are the most important ones:
