Grants for twenty-nine public and cultural infotainment and news programmes

In the fourth round of the tender of the Hungarian Media Patronage program for the production of public and cultural infotainment and news programmes, the Media Council has awarded a total of HUF 144.2 million for the annual support of twenty-nine local and regional television programmes. Seven television stations submitted successful tenders in the public infotainment category: Tatabányai and Hajdúnánási Televízió, Putnoki Városi Televízió, Csongrád Tv, Eleven Televízió of Bükkábrány, Csele TV of Mohács and Trió- TV-Dunántúl of Csepreg. Eleven media service providers may use the funds to produce news programmes: Városi Televízió of Gyöngyös and Ózd, Nyíregyházi and Bajai Televízió, Városi TV of Makó, Gyula and Győr+ Televízió, Kanizsa TV, Halas TV of Kiskunhalas, Kapos Televízió of Kaposvár and Pannon Televízió of Pécs. An additional eleven television stations received grants for the production of cultural infotainment programmes: Kecskeméti Televízió, Pápa Városi Televízió, Városi TV of Makó, Veszprém, Érd and Somogy TV, D+ TV of Dunaújváros, Hegyvidék Televízió of Budapest, Bonum TV, Halom Televízió of Százhalombatta and Tolnatáj Televízió of Szekszárd.

Film festival awards

The Media Council has offered a contribution of HUF 500 thousand for the costs of the Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival, presenting the works of young cinematographers. The amount will be presented to the winner of the public choice award. The event will again be hosted in Szeged from 9-12 May.

The Media Council has provided HUF 1.8 million worth of support for the Seven Hills Film Festival of Komló for the first three places of the awards in the animation, documentary and short film categories. The event will take place from 3-9 September in Komló and Pécs. Hungarian and foreign filmmakers may submit their works by 31 May at the latest.

As of this year, the highly prestigious Szolnok International Film Festival of Fine Arts will be hosted under the name of the Alexander Trauner ART/FILM Festival, paying tribute to the Oscar award-winning production designer. The board has agreed to provide a total of HUF three million for the finalists of the fine arts and visuals categories, HUF 300 thousand for the first three places of the logo film tender to promote the festival, and HUF one million for the finalists of the short film tender announced on the occasion of the year of families at the event taking place from 16-21 October.

Media supervisory decisions

A fine of HUF 440 thousand was imposed on the media service provider operating the Story5, 4-es csatorna and Galaxy TV channels for broadcasting commercial breaks that were louder than the programmes before and after the commercials on eleven occasions in the fourth quarter of last year.

Based on an official audit conducted in December of last year, the board has fined the media service provider of Városi Televízió of Tiszavasvár as the television channels aired fewer public service features, programmes dealing with local public life and those which facilitate day-to-day activities than agreed upon in its contract and required by law.

When imposing the legal consequences, the board always adheres to the principle of proportionality and progressiveness while considering all circumstances of the case.