Today Telewizja Polska (TVP) celebrates its 50th anniversary. With this very special occasion the big gala takes place in the Great Theatre (Teatr Wielki) in Warsaw. The celebration is transmitted live by Channel 1 and TV Polonia. The Poles across the whole world watch the biggest stars, journalists, singers, actors, actresses etc.
Besides that, TVP's headquaters at Woronicz Street was visited by many people today. Everyone was able to see, how TVP works. Even hours of waiting in queues weren't an obstacle. Viewers could talk to everyone about everything and find out almost everything they wanted to know.
Since the beginning of the special 2002 year, TVP broadcast's special versions of many programmes, with famous, but retired speakers, old movies, soap operas, cabarets, Opole and Sopot Festivals, Intervision Song Contests, children's programmes etc.
Exactly 50 years ago the very first signal was broadcasted by a few people in Warsaw. A small studio, two video cameras and only dozens TV sets across the whole coutry in 1952. Despite of communism, censorship and technical obstacles, TVP was getting bigger and bigger. In the 60's Telewizja Polska organized the first international Sopot Festival, in 1969 it broadcasted the landing on the Moon (only TVP did that behind 'the iron courtain'). In the 70's Channel 2 started broadcasting its own programmes and at least, in 1994, Poland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. With a huge success, by the way. Now with two nationwide channels, twelve regional channels and TV Polonia, world channel for Poles outside of Poland, TVP is one of the biggest national broadcaster in Europe and an active member of EBU. TVP's Channel 1 is the most often watched tv station in Poland.
TVP has its own website.
