Radio Maryja's signal was jammed for an hour during a broadcast regarding the local government elections.
The fact that the Radio Maryja signal disappeared in Poland during yesterday's evening broadcast was confirmed by an official statement from the radio station.
"We confirm that on April 3, 2024, the Radio Maryja signal on the Eutelsat satellite was disrupted, which was then transmitted to our VHF transmitters in Poland. During 'Unfinished Conversations,' listeners were cut off from our message for about 45 minutes, the statement says."
The evening broadcast "Unfinished Conversations" was devoted to the upcoming local government elections.
In the past, Radio Maryja was discriminated against when allocating frequencies to radio stations. In the 1990s, only after many interventions and protests was radio coverage of the entire area of Poland possible. In the current situation, with the disappearance of the Radio Maryja signal, it is easy to make associations.
According to the station's website, the satellite signal was turned off. Eutelsat is unable to explain what happened. The full-strength coverage returned after 7 hours.
PN: Radio Maryja is a religious and politically socially conservative Polish radio station. It was founded in Toruń, Poland, on December 9, 1991, by the Redemptorist Tadeusz Rydzyk. "Maryja" is a traditional Polish form of "Mary," referring to the Virgin Mary.
Radio Maryja is a popular radio station aimed at the Catholic audience. It enjoyed success like Rush Limbaugh's radio show.
During communism, Poland actively jammed the signal of Western radio stations like Radio Liberty and Voice of America. Listening to those stations was also punishable by law. This is why jamming the radio signal, apparently by the government, brings back bad memories.
- Based on reporting by Wpolityce
