1994–2000
In 1994, Polsat won the bid for terrestrial television broadcasting, surpassing local and international competitors,[7] and in the summer of that year, announced that a new schedule was to be introduced that autumn, with the aim of becoming "better, more attractive and perfect", in the words of director of programming Bogusław Chrabota.[1]
Polsat started buying in more content from more profitable international production companies, whereas TVP responded by changing its primetime schedule to be more competitive. On 17 March 1994, Gazeta Wyborcza said that, thanks to Polsat's influence, was going to air movies in the 8 pm timeslot after the main news from 1 April.[1] It played a pivotal role in the dissemination of disco polo music thanks to Disco Relax, leading to the skyrocketing popularity of notable artists of the genre.[1]
As the decade continued, Polsat started attracting more and more successes – both national and international. Tadeusz Drozda gained a satirical program of his own (Dyżurny satiryk Pracy) in 1995, with 350 episodes broadcast in a period of nearly six years. There was also the game show Kalambury, where two teams guessed phrases and words based on mimics alone. The channel's first homemade TV series premiered in 1995, Próby domowe, while Informacje gained a media analysis spin-off called Sztuka Informacji, renamed Boomerang in 1998. The channel also premiered Knight Rider and Walker, Texas Ranger, both shows that became national hits. Also in 1995, the channel televised its first Miss Polonia pageant.[1]
Polsat started a foundation in 1996 to help people in difficult situations. The channel became among the first in Poland to use virtual studios and started its own membership club (Klub Polsatu) in September of that year.[1] From March 1997 it started airing the MegaHit slot for premiere movies on Mondays, also in the year the game show Piramida (produced with franchise owner Columbia Tristar Television), the crime prevention program Telewizyjny Biuro Śledcze and Przytul mnie premiered.[1]
A contract was signed with executives of 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles in June 1998, enabling Polsat to become the first television station in the world to air Titanic, in a contract worth US$500,000. In September, Tok Szok moved from TVP2 to Polsat. The channel's first Polish sitcom, Miodowe Lata, also premiered that year.[1] That year was also marked by its first international co-production, the American series V.I.P. with Columbia Tristar Television.[8] 1999 was marked by premieres of two successful local series, Rodzina zastępcza and The Lousy World.[1]
