On Thursday, we announced that we have joined the RMF Group after several decades of work President Kazimierz Gródek and Vice President and Program Director Tadeusz Sołtys bid farewell. How do industry representatives assess this decision? Will the station change its strategy under the new government?
– Both gentlemen are icons of this radio station and the company. Gródek and Sołtys were the creators of RMF’s power. I am a bit surprised that these two managers are leaving the company at this time. The background to this decision is very interesting, which we do not yet know – Andrzej Matuszyński, former president of Eurozet, told Wirtualnemedia.pl.
Kazimierz Gródek started working for the RMF Group in 1995. In 2004, he became vice-president and five years later president of the broadcaster. He is a legal consultant by profession.
Tadeusz Sołtys has been associated with RMF FM since the station’s launch in 1990. He started as a reporter and for 10 years hosted the morning show, as well as other programs (including “Nie ma przed”, “Trzykrotka”, “Podróż za dziennik się miłość”, “Três tres (nastej)”). In mid-2004, he became program director, responsible for program supervision of the stations RMF FM, RMF Classic, RMF Maxxx and the company’s internet projects. In the spring of 2004, he became its president, and in 2009 he moved to the position of vice-president.
“Great job”
The announcement did not specify the reasons for Gródek and Sołtys’ departure from the company. – We would like to thank both of them for their long service – more than 30 years – in the case of Kazimierz Gródek – and 35 years – in the case of Tadeusz Sołtys, as well as for their significant contribution during the period in which they managed the company – notes Vivian Mohr, President of Bauer Media Audio.
Leszek Kozioł, former president of Radio Eska, now at Radio Wielkopolska, is also surprised. – I see Kazek as a very good manager who has transformed a company that was spontaneously run by its founder into a professional and highly profitable enterprise. We have been working together on the market for many years and despite being competitors, we have always had good relations. I think he did a great job at RMF, as did Tadeusz Sołtys – says Koziol.
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Marek Dworak, former member of the RMF Group’s management board, also did not expect such a decision. – RMF’s cooperation with Baur was good after my departure. The fact that the latest incident with editor Marek Balawajdr probably upset the relationship between the owner and management a bit, but I didn’t think it would be this much. Does Bauer want to have more influence on radio? I don’t think so. In my time, there were never any suggestions related to program elements, it was treated as a business, they looked at indicators. But maybe that has changed recently, we have to wait for new decisions – emphasizes Dworak.
In February this year, Marek Balawajder, the director of the information department, left the RMF Group. The investigation conducted by the police station did not confirm the allegations of moral harassment, but stated that there was behavior considered a violation of the company’s code of conduct – Bauer Media Group reported at the time.
Will there be changes?
What will happen to RMF FM under the new management? Leszek Kozioł does not expect any major changes. – I don’t think anyone would want to interfere too much in the programming. RMF is a very well-made station. There is no point in introducing radical changes. Of course, you can always make small changes to update the product. As a rule, the music and information policies are very well implemented. I would be surprised if successors tried to change it significantly, because that would only ruin it. – he admits.
However, Jan Dworak does not rule out the possibility of some changes. – These changes could affect the station’s strategy. I have my theory about why RMF is the market leader. From a programming perspective, Tadek Sołtys was a guarantee that there would be no sudden changes that usually do not please listeners. I do not know who will end up managing it. If someone from outside comes in, they may want to introduce bigger changes, he points out.
At this time, it was announced that Tomasz Ramza has taken over as interim president of the RMF Group.. He has been associated with the broadcaster for 15 years, most recently as general director of the sales department and director of corporate negotiations for Bauer Media Group in Poland.
Political scientist Adam Szynol also does not expect a revolution in the RMF. – With such a strong position, I do not think anyone would want to suddenly experiment. It will rather be an attempt to maintain the position, perhaps to stop the slight decline. This is the number one task, but I doubt that this can be achieved through revolution. Successors should also look at the market situation, where internet radio and music streaming providers are becoming increasingly important. Perhaps there will be small changes here when younger managers replace the departed gentlemen. The question is also what happens to DAB+. RMF was against it because it did not want changes in the market that were favorable to it, he says.
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Could this be a new opening in the RMF Group after Agora’s acquisition of Eurozet and the recent increase in Radio ZET’s audience? Andrzej Matuszyński would not explain this through changes in competition. – Maybe a bigger change is coming to RMF? However, I don’t think it has anything to do with Eurozet. Radio ZET’s growth is noticeable, but RMF still has a significant advantage in the market. Both managers built this station and I think they still have the knowledge, competence and experience to compete with the competition. Or maybe they are just tired after years of working in one company and are going to start something new in life? – he wonders.
On the other hand Iwona Bołdak was appointed program director of RMF and Przemysław Kula was appointed antenna director. Both were previously deputy programme directors. Iwona Bołdak took over this position at the end of 2014. She has been associated with RMF FM since 2006, previously as a writer and editor, among others. Przemysław Kula became deputy programme director in 2007 and has worked at the station since 1996.
He remains vice-president of the RMF Group. Ewa Miszczak. He will now expand his management area to include RMF FM and will continue to play key roles at RMF MAXX and RMF Classic..
Will the village headman and Gródek remain in the media?
Adam Szynol suspects that Kazimierz Gródek and Tadeusz Sołtys may have other career plans. – Both gentlemen spent many years in this company. I don’t think they dream of a peaceful retirement, but perhaps they still want to make a name for themselves elsewhere, use your potential, market knowledge, recognition. I think this is the perfect time for them to find themselves in a new medium and develop it. XYZ is being created now, there is Channel Zero, public media is still hiring for some positions – says Szynol.
The political scientist is the only one of our interlocutors who is not particularly surprised by the decision to say goodbye to the managers. – It seems to me that this is a continuation of the changes we have seen in recent months at RMF. Even excluding the scandal with Marek Balawajdr, at least a dozen journalists have left the channel. Many are going to TVP taking advantage of the “transfer window”, as they say in football, he concludes.
Since last year, many journalists have left RMF FM. Among others, Kuba Kaługa, who worked in Tricity, Krzysztof Kot from Lublin and Marek Wiosło from Wrocław, left the company. Roch Kowalski, Paweł Balinowski and Mariusz Piekarski left the Warsaw branch of RMF FM (they all joined Telewizja Polska). Editor Amelia Panuszko and head of the editor’s team of journalists Jonasz Jasnorzewski also moved from RMF FM to TVP. Katarzyna Staszko, presenter of “Fakty” RMF FM, also left the station.
RMF Group: No revolution is necessary
The RMF Group announcement stated that RMF FM has been the market leader in radio in Poland for years, and the aim of the change in the composition of the board of directors will be to strengthen this position and further develop the station. It was noted that “the station’s new management system is made up of people from the team who have worked in the group for many years, which ensures the continuity of the course set by the RMF Group”
It was emphasized that the company “is like a well-oiled machine.” – There are no more designers, the service staff is changing, but everything is set up to have it running perfectly for 34 years. This machine is a team that knows what to do in every situation – he described.
– There will be no revolution because there is no need for revolution. The idea behind the success of the RMF group is stability and… peace. This tranquility was reflected in the feeling of security of the third generation of RMF FM listeners for 34 years – they were assured.
How much does the RMF Group earn?
As we described in June, RMF Group achieved a 14% increase in consolidated revenue in 2023. PLN 443.33 million, and its net profit increased from PLN 172.6 million to PLN 202.5 million. It paid out this year. Bauer Media concerns PLN 89 million in dividends.
Broadcaster RMF FM and Internet Radio RMF24 achieved record financial results in their history in 2023. With an increase in revenues of 18.8% to PLN 99.7 million, it earned PLN 23.4 million net.
