TVP Wilno
A Polish-language television channel serving the Polish community in Lithuania and audiences interested in Poland.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
TVP Wilno is a Polish-language television channel operated by Telewizja Polska for Poles living in Lithuania, as well as Lithuanian viewers interested in Polish affairs, culture, and society. The channel broadcasts across Lithuania and makes its programming available online through its official digital presence. Its editorial purpose combines community media, public-service broadcasting, cultural promotion, and international communication. The channel's stated mission includes providing information and educational programming for Lithuania's Polish community; supporting friendly relations between Poland and Lithuania; sustaining the Polish language and promoting Polish culture; integrating and activating local communities; presenting Polish perspectives on developments in Lithuania, Poland, and the wider world; and documenting the history and contemporary life of Poles in the Vilnius region. Its remit also places it within Poland's broader effort to maintain a Polish-language information presence in the Baltic states. The concept of a dedicated Polish television service in Lithuania was discussed as early as 2010, but implementation was delayed. TVP reactivated its permanent foreign correspondence office in Vilnius in 2016, and work on the channel resumed in 2018. In 2019, Telewizja Polska and Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs formalized cooperation covering the channel's creation, financing, and distribution. TVP Wilno officially began broadcasting on 17 September 2019, with the news service Info Wilno as its first program. At launch, the service combined programming from TVP Polonia with a locally prepared block aimed at Lithuanian residents during evening hours. It later developed into an independent, full-day service broadcasting around the clock. Its output includes news, current affairs, cultural programming, educational material, community reporting, and coverage of Polish life in Lithuania. The channel also cooperates with Polish-language and local media organizations, including Radio Znad Wilii, Wilnoteka, and Kurier Wileński. TVP Wilno's physical infrastructure expanded after Poland and Lithuania signed an agreement in 2021 connected with the expansion of the Polish Cultural Center in Vilnius and the construction of new premises for the channel. The new editorial headquarters, opened in 2023, included studio and newsroom facilities. The service began broadcasting in high definition in September 2021, and its online portal received a refreshed version in 2023. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances the channel's activities, while Telewizja Polska provides its operational and broadcasting framework. From 3 March 2026, TVP Wilno is identified as part of TVP World Services, the Telewizja Polska structure known in Polish as Ośrodek Mediów dla Zagranicy. Its positioning therefore combines a regional diaspora channel with a state-supported international-media function.
History
The idea of creating a Polish television channel in Lithuania emerged around 2010, reflecting the sizeable Polish community in the Vilnius region and the desire for a dedicated Polish-language source of news, culture, and community information. The initial effort did not reach implementation. In early May 2016, Telewizja Polska reactivated its permanent foreign correspondence office in Vilnius, restoring an institutional base for renewed work on a Lithuanian Polish-language service. Preparations accelerated in July 2018, when Mirosław Ciunowicz, acting as a representative of the TVP management board, began organizing the channel's editorial office. Public statements in 2018 and early 2019 suggested that the service might launch in stages, although the timetable shifted. On 21 March 2019, TVP president Jacek Kurski and Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk, then Poland's secretary of state responsible for diaspora, European policy, and public diplomacy, signed an agreement concerning the channel's establishment, co-financing, and distribution. The agreement gave the project a formal financial and institutional framework, with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs supporting its activities. TVP announced in July 2019 that the team had been assembled and that technical tests would begin. A presentation concerning the planned service was held during the Economic Forum in Krynica in September. TVP Wilno then officially started broadcasting on 17 September 2019 at 17:30 Polish time, corresponding to 18:30 in Lithuania. The first program was Info Wilno, establishing news as a central part of the service. An inauguration ceremony was held the same day at the Polish Cultural Center in Vilnius, with senior Polish and Lithuanian officials, diplomats, broadcasting authorities, and TVP representatives in attendance. The initial schedule was not yet a wholly independent 24-hour channel. It combined programs from TVP Polonia with a specially prepared evening block for Lithuanian residents. This local block was initially broadcast during prime time, from 17:30 to 20:00 Polish time. Over time, TVP Wilno expanded its own editorial output and developed into an independent daily service operating 24 hours a day. Its programming has focused on news, education, culture, public affairs, Polish-language community life, and reporting from Lithuania and Poland. The channel's work is connected with a wider public-diplomacy and cultural mission. It seeks to strengthen relations between Poland and Lithuania, promote the Polish language and Polish cultural heritage, and provide a platform for the history and contemporary experiences of Poles in the Vilnius region. It also presents Polish perspectives on Lithuanian, Polish, and international events. TVP Wilno cooperates with other Polish-language or locally oriented media, including Radio Znad Wilii, Wilnoteka, and Kurier Wileński. Its stated strategic rationale also includes providing an alternative information presence in a Baltic media environment where Russian-language media have historically sought influence. Infrastructure development followed the launch. On 2 May 2021, Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė signed a foundation act concerning the expansion of the Polish Cultural Center in Vilnius and new premises for TVP Wilno. A cornerstone was laid in September 2021. The channel began high-definition broadcasting on 10 September of that year. In March 2023, it introduced a refreshed version of its online portal, extending its reach beyond linear television. On 2 May 2023, exactly two years after the foundation act, the new editorial headquarters opened, providing modern studio and newsroom facilities. TVP Wilno continues to operate as a TVP channel supported financially by Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and distributed throughout Lithuania and online. From 3 March 2026, it is part of TVP World Services, the broadcaster's foreign-media structure, known in Polish as Ośrodek Mediów dla Zagranicy.
- 2026
Integration into TVP World Services
[1]TVP Wilno became part of TVP's foreign-media structure from 3 March.
- 2023
New Vilnius editorial headquarters opens
[1]Modern studio and newsroom facilities opened at the channel's new headquarters on 2 May.
- 2021
New headquarters project established
[1]Polish and Lithuanian prime ministers signed a foundation act for expanded cultural-center facilities and new TVP Wilno premises.
- 2021
High-definition service introduced
[1]The channel began broadcasting in HD on 10 September.
- 2019
Creation and financing agreement signed
[1]TVP and Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs formalized cooperation on establishing, financing, and distributing the channel.
- 2019
Official launch
[1]TVP Wilno began broadcasting on 17 September, opening with the Info Wilno news service.
- 2018
Editorial preparations resume
[1]Mirosław Ciunowicz began organizing the editorial office and operational preparations for TVP Wilno.
- 2016
TVP reactivates its Vilnius correspondence office
[1]Telewizja Polska restored its permanent foreign correspondence presence in Vilnius, supporting renewed work on the planned channel.
- 2010
Initial concept for a Polish channel in Lithuania
[1]The idea of establishing a dedicated Polish-language television channel for Lithuania's Polish community was first discussed.
Products and positioning
A Polish-language public-service and diaspora channel connecting Poland with Poles and Polish-speaking communities in Lithuania.
Television broadcasting · 2019
TVP Wilno television channel
The core linear service is a Polish-language channel available throughout Lithuania. It serves Poles in Lithuania and Lithuanian audiences interested in Poland through news, current affairs, culture, education, community coverage, and programming about Polish life in the Vilnius region. After initially combining TVP Polonia content with a locally produced evening block, the service developed into an independent 24-hour schedule.
News program · 2019
Info Wilno
Info Wilno was the first program transmitted when TVP Wilno launched. It functions as the channel's principal news identity and reflects the service's role in reporting on Lithuania, Poland, the Vilnius region, and issues affecting the Polish community.
Digital media · 2019
TVP Wilno online portal
The official online portal extends the channel's reach beyond television through web publishing and online access to information about its programming. A refreshed version of the portal was made available in March 2023.
Brand decisions
2026
Integration into TVP World ServicesStrategyBackground
TVP reorganized its foreign-facing media activities within the TVP World Services structure.
Action taken
From 3 March 2026, TVP Wilno became part of TVP World Services, also known as Ośrodek Mediów dla Zagranicy.
Aftermath
The channel remains a Lithuania-focused Polish-language service while operating within TVP's broader international-media organization.
2021
Expansion of TVP Wilno facilitiesStrategyBackground
The channel required dedicated studio and newsroom infrastructure to support its growing independent schedule and local editorial role.
Action taken
Poland and Lithuania signed a foundation act connected with expanded Polish Cultural Center facilities and new TVP Wilno premises.
Aftermath
A cornerstone was laid in September 2021, and the new headquarters opened in May 2023.
2021
Transition to high-definition broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
The channel pursued a technical upgrade as its television operation matured.
Action taken
TVP Wilno began broadcasting in high definition on 10 September 2021.
Aftermath
The upgrade improved the technical presentation of the channel's television service.
2019
Launch of TVP WilnoProduct launchBackground
Telewizja Polska and Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought to create a Polish-language service for Lithuania's Polish community and to strengthen Poland-Lithuania cultural and information ties.
Action taken
The parties formalized the channel's creation, co-financing, and distribution, and TVP began broadcasting on 17 September 2019.
Aftermath
The service initially used TVP Polonia programming alongside a locally produced evening block and later expanded into an independent 24-hour channel.
Recent events
- 2026
TVP Wilno becomes part of TVP World Services[1]
Other
From 3 March 2026, the channel is included in TVP's TVP World Services structure, also known as Ośrodek Mediów dla Zagranicy.
- 2023
New TVP Wilno headquarters opens in Vilnius[1]
Other
A new editorial headquarters with studio and newsroom facilities opened on 2 May 2023.
- 2023
TVP Wilno refreshes its online portal[1]
Product launch
The channel made a redesigned version of its online portal available in March 2023.
- 2021
TVP Wilno begins high-definition broadcasting[1]
Product generation
The channel began transmitting in high definition on 10 September 2021.
- 2019
TVP Wilno officially begins broadcasting[1]
Product launch
The channel launched on 17 September 2019, with Info Wilno as its first broadcast program.
Sources2 sources
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