in the FOZZ scandal just before the elections (later found to be baseless), and a general bias in coverage of political news. KRRiT was also in constant conflict with private broadcasters, for example forbidding RMF FM to air local news. The big problems however started only after the 2001 elections, when some members of the KRRiT were named in a conspiracy to gain control over the private media (the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and the TV station Polsat) by falsifying the laws (in the strand of the Lew Rywin scandal referred to as "or newspapers" (lub czasopisma, in honor of wording of the media law that was illegally switched after approval by the government), and using their broadcast licensing power to exert political and economical pressure over local private broadcasters. These events, and other corruption scandals revealed soon afterward, shattered the Polish political class. These events were all tied into a complex scandal referred to as the Rywin Affair. In 2004 Robert Kwiatkowski was replaced by a compromise candidate, Jan Dworak, as the head of Polish Television. Many parties taking part in 2005 elections proposed abandonment of the KRRiT. The official website of the National Broadcasting Council is www.krrit.gov.pl Relevant sections of the Polish Constitution National Broadcasting Council Article 213 The National Broadcasting Council shall safeguard the freedom of speech, the right to information, and the public interest in radio and television broadcasting. The National Broadcasting Council may issue regulations or, in individual cases, adopt resolutions. Article 214 The members of the National Broadcasting Council shall be appointed by the Sejm, the Senate and the President of the Republic. A member of the National Broadcasting Council shall not belong to a political party or trade union, or perform public activities incompatible with the dignity of the office. Article 215 The rules and manner of operation of the National Broadcasting Council, its organization, and specific rules for appointment of its members shall be determined by statute. References Government agencies established in 1992 Mass media in Poland 1992 establishments in Poland Broadcasting authorities