ABSTRACT
The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole is the biggest televised annual Polish festival. For over a half a century, it was one of the most important music events in Poland. During that time, the organisational structure and legal aspects of the event were constantly changing. Analysing its place and role in the Polish media ecosystem is one of the main goals of this study. This chapter documents the emergence of the festival's role in the Polish music industry during communism and its transformation after the system change, which resembles the organisational and political shift in the overall entertainment industry. Also explored is a unique model of cooperation that has developed between a Polish state-owned national TV station and the city council of Opole. Legal, economic, and political implications of these facts in the post-communist landscape are the most important aspects of this overview.
