TVP Kultura is the only Polish thematic channel of a strictly cultural scope. Is the culture featured in the media aimed at the narrow inner circle of viewers? What challenges do the authors/creators of a „cultural” television face? These questions are answered by Krzysztof Koehler, the Director of TVP Kultura.

Who are the viewers of TVP Kultura?

We consider it very important that TVP Kultura is not perceived as a hermetic channel, aimed at a narrow circle of viewers. I’m against the kind of thinking that assumes that culture – in the broad meaning of the word – is made exclusively for a small „inner circle”. Culture is important not only for elites, but for everyone in Poland. It is in culture, and not in politics or economy, that things basic for our spiritual and intellectual life happen. For this reason, while working on the programme of TVP Kultura, we count on diversity. We offer attractive programmes of various kinds to feature various topics and world views. Our mission is to attract viewers and not to lock ourselves in an elite fortress inaccessible to them.


What is the mission of the channel?


The opinion-forming role of TVP Kultura means a lot to us. Not only do we want to present cultural events, but to keep commenting on the cultural life as well. To trigger discussions, to confront people of various views and beliefs – that’s why we attach a lot of weight to the journalistic approach.


We consider the promotion of Polish national heritage – our history, historic monuments, important figures – equally significant. We try to show local traditions that people very often know nothing about as for the majority of Polish people culture, the everyday one, is rooted in their own environment, and not in institutions located in Warsaw or Krakow.


On the other hand, we give those who live far from culture centres, in small towns or in the country, a unique chance to participate in the most important artistic events in the country. Owing to this initiative big-city culture gets to the most remote corners of Poland.



Where did the idea to create a separate thematic channel come from?


There wasn’t, and there isn’t still, a television of a strictly cultural scope on the Polish media market. At the same time public opinion polls show that there is quite a big demand for culture in the media. To carry out the culture-stimulating mission is the statutory responsibility of public television, but its main channels (TVP1 and TVP2), for obvious reasons, can devote only a small amount of their broadcast time to culture. And so TVP Kultura was created to complement, extend and deepen the cultural offer of both the channels. Very soon, however, it earned an excellent position on the market, became an instantly recognized and prestigious label. The originality and high standard of its contents were recently appreciated by the judges of the international contest Hot Bird TV Awards 2006 who found TVP Kultura the best thematic channel devoted to culture in Europe.


How does the cooperation with the Polish cultural milieu develop?


TVP Kultura, from the very beginning, has been playing the role of a patron and promoter of artists. We support various artistic projects, get involved in film co-productions, present interesting initiatives of both renowned artists and those who are taking their first, not easy steps on the art market.   


It was as early as in the first year of its activity that TVP Kultura co-produced over 20 feature films and documentaries. We are also the co-authors of the programme „30 minutes” which enabled the young generation of Polish film-makers to make their feature film debuts. Each of the debutants got 100,000 PLN towards production, artistic and production care, professional equipment, and assistance in the distribution of the films ready. Owing to this unique initiative young directors have a chance to make their debuts, and the Polish film gets richer by 10 short films a year.
TVP Kultura also co-funded a film series „Russian-Poland. A New Look” in which Polish directors spoke about Russia and Russian ones about Poland. We also invited the cooperation of renowned authors of Polish animated films, who represented different generations, as well as various styles, schools and temperaments. As a result, a series of teasing and perverse animated films were created that soon became the identification of the channel.

In the studios of TVP Kultura we have hosted the most distinctive personalities of the Polish culture (Krzysztof Zanussi, Andrzej Wajda, Kazimierz Kutz, Krystyna Janda, Janusz Gajos, Gustaw Holoubek, Janusz Kondratiuk, Urszula Dudziak, Tomasz Stańko, Jerzy Pilch, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Ryszard Kapuściński, and many others). In the night broadcast „The Night of Artists” the leading Polish avant-garde presented their new projects  (Paweł Althamer, Katarzyna Kozyra, Zbigniew Libera).


TVP Kultura cooperates with many theatres, art institutes, artists’ associations, leading film festivals, as well as with institutions that support Polish culture.



In your opinion, what do artists expect of television, of TVP Kultura?


Firstly – good television. The television that, instead of a commercial hotchpotch, offers specialized programme of a high standard. Television where they can see films awarded at festivals, listen to good music or watch a good theatre performance. Secondly – competent information. Information that would comprise culture world events and the work of their colleagues. And thirdly – the promotion of their own artistic work. From the signals we get from artists it results that TVP Kultura is for them a kind of a discussion forum, the place to exchange opinions and experience, the place where different views clash.
 
Does television stimulate artists’ development? Do you get signals that a presentation in TVP Kultura influenced the development of an artist’s career?
Films co-produced by TVP Kultura have been successful at international festivals. For example, „Nasiona” („Seeds”) by Wojciech Kasperski, made as a part of the „Russia-Poland” series, has already been appreciated in Poland, Germany, the USA and Spain. At the 13th L’Alternativa Festival de Cinema Independent de Barcelona the film was honoured with a special award in the documentary film category.
Young avant-garde artists who have presented their first projects on TVP Kultura are doing quite well. This is, first of all, the result of their hard work and stubbornness, we believe however that TVP Kultura has also contributed to their successes – those already achieved and the future ones.