Lidl and Wawel pull ads from conservative TV station after Polish charity chief’s ultimatum

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Two firms have announced plans to stop advertising on conservative television station Telewizja Republika following an ultimatum from the head of Poland’s largest charity, who was the target of a weeks-long hate campaign inspired by the broadcaster.

Jerzy Owsiak, chairman of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP), said on Monday that companies must choose between advertising on Telewizja Republika or cooperating with the charity.

Since then, Kraków-based confectionery brand Wawel has announced that it will stop advertising on Telewizja Republika once their existing contract expires, while German discount chain Lidl Polska has said it will no longer run adverts if the broadcaster and WOŚP cannot reach an agreement.

The money collected by WOŚP is used primarily to buy equipment for Poland’s healthcare system. This year’s focus is on paediatric oncology and haematology. Since its launch in 1993, the charity has raised nearly 2.3 billion zloty, which has been used to purchase around 74,500 pieces of hospital equipment.

Despite this, WOŚP is not popular among some Polish conservatives, who dislike the secular, liberal values of its founder, Jerzy Owsiak, and have accused him and his family of benefiting financially from the event.

This year, Owsiak faced a renewed hate campaign following critical coverage by Telewizja Republika, which alleged financial improprieties relating to the distribution of funds WOŚP collected to support victims of major floods last September.

Owsiak reported receiving death threats, which he attributed to “incitement” by Telewizja Republika and similar outlets, accusing them of fostering a “spiral of lies and hatred”.

During this year’s finale, which took place on Sunday, WOŚP raised a record 178 million zloty (€42.2 million).

The following day, during the post-finale conference, Owsiak gave an ultimatum to companies that cooperate with WOŚP and also advertise on Telewizja Republika, arguing that being present on the conservative broadcaster is incompatible with the charity’s mission.

“We will not cooperate with you if you advertise on Telewizja Republika, which is anti-oncology, anti-haematology, anti-human at times,” Owsiak said. He noted that he was referring to the purchase of new advertising contracts with the station.

Owsiak also claimed that Telewizja Republika recently refused to air an advertisement from a company that also cooperates with WOŚP. The broadcaster allegedly told the company that the content of the ad, which referenced Sunday’s finale, was inconsistent with its programming policy.

Lidl Polska responded to Owsiak’s remarks on Tuesday, saying it was committed to social responsibility and neutrality.

If WOŚP and Telewizja Republika “fail to reach an agreement…we do not envisage any further broadcasts of advertising spots on this station,” said Aleksandra Robaszkiewicz, director of corporate affairs at Lidl Polska, as quoted by TVN24. She added that the company has pre-existing commitments with the station that will last until March.

Wawel, a confectionery manufacturer, has also decided to withdraw adverts from Telewizja Republika.

“Taking into account the mission of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, its important role in society and the position of the organisation’s president, Jerzy Owsiak, the Wawel company will cease broadcasting its commercials on certain TV channels,” the company said in a statement to Wirtualna Polska, explaining that this would be possible from 1 March.

Bartosz Lewandowski, a lawyer from the ultraconservative organisation Ordo Iuris, suggested that Owsiak’s call to abandon adverts on Telewizja Republika has the hallmarks of unfair competition and could expose him to claims for damages.

“Mr Jerzy Owsiak must not have given much thought to his statement calling for the withdrawal of adverts and the boycott of Telewizja Republika, as he has exposed WOŚP to huge legal problems resulting from an act of unfair competition,” he said in a post on X.

A report commissioned by the media monitoring NGO Basta Foundation and prepared by the Media Monitoring Institute found that 89% of 218 media reports about WOŚP and its chairman aired between 1-12 January 2025 on Telewizja Republika and wPolsce24, another conservative broadcaster, were overtly negative.

The report said the coverage primarily consisted of personal attacks and allegations questioning the transparency of the charity’s operations. The negative messaging reached an estimated 13 million viewers.

Last year, companies including IKEA, mBank and Żabka, Europe’s largest convenience store chain, also stopped advertising with Telewizja Republika.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Maks Małota / WOŚP press materials

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.