Grants under the Patronage Programme

Under the Media Council’s Hungarian Media Patronage Programme, grants totalling HUF 208.7 million were awarded to thirty-four community and small community media outlets that submitted successful bids in the first round of this year's tender for the provision of support for running and operating costs. The beneficiaries included Kiskőrös Televízió, Zugló Televízió, Pomáz Televízió, Szentes Televízió, Füred Televízió, Szentgál Televízió, Baranya Televízió and Körös Televízió, Komló és Térsége Televízió, Körzeti Televízió of Esztergom, Irány TV of Miskolc, TiszapART Televízió of Szeged, Régió Plusz Televízió of Gödöllő, Karcag Televízió, Somogy TV, Zemplén TV and Sárrét TV, Hegyvidék Televízió of Budapest, Apostol TV, Bonum TV, Hatoscsatorna, Kék Kálló TV of Püspökladány, and Városi TV Mohács. The radio stations receiving grants included Táska Rádió of Székesfehérvár, Első Pesti Egyetemi Rádió, Magyar Katolikus Rádió of Kaposvár and Székesfehérvár, Győr Plusz Rádió, FM90 Campus Rádió of Debrecen, Berettyó Rádió, Balaton Rádió, Credo Rádió of Szombathely, Klasszik Rádió 92,1 of Budapest, and Radio Monošter of Szentgotthárd.

Festival support

The Media Council granted HUF 4.8 million for the organization of the Hungarian Film Week in Israel. The event, whose chief organizer is the Hungarian embassy, will take place in Tel Aviv from 12 to 20 May. Several films that had been produced with support from the Media Council's Hungarian Media Patronage Programme and enjoyed great success at various film festivals—such as Curtiz, Félvilág (Demimonde) or A berni követ (The Ambassador to Bern)—will also be screened at the Film Week.

Decisions concerning radio frequencies

In the tenders announced for the Székesfehérvár 106.6 MHz, Tatabánya 107.0 MHz, Zalaegerszeg 88.3 MHz and Szigetszentmiklós 107.0 MHz local radio frequencies, the Media Council awarded the contract to the sole bidders of each tender: Karc FM Média Kft. in the first two tenders, Lánchíd Rádió Kft. in the third and Lakihegy Rádió Bt. in the fourth tender. The programmes will be broadcast in Székesfehérvár and Tatabánya with a coverage area extension, under the permanent name of Karc FM, while in Zalaegerszeg in a network, under the permanent name of Karc FM 88,3. In Szigetszentmiklós, Lakihegy Rádió will broadcast. The board declared the tender announced for the Budaörs 104.8 MHz local commercial radio frequency unsuccessful, since all the bids submitted were formally invalid.

The Media Council approved the draft tender announcements for the media service provision opportunities concerning the Baja 94.3 MHz, Dunaföldvár 106.5 MHz, Paks 107.5 MHz and Szekszárd 91.1 MHz frequencies, the current licences of which will expire this year. After the content-based examination in the tender for the Dunaújváros 99.1 MHz frequency, the Media Council requested information from the sole bidder Karc FM Média Kft.

Media supervisory decisions

The Media Council imposed a fine of HUF 115 thousand on the operator of Rádió 1 of Miskolc as well as a fine of HUF 240 thousand on the operator of Rádió 1 of Baja, Dunaföldvár, Paks and Szekszárd, as during a programming week in January under review they broadcast fewer programmes dealing with local public life as well as programmes facilitating local day-to-day life than required by the Media Act, and aired a commercial break without closing title twenty times. Furthermore, the operator of the Miskolc-based radio station aired less Hungarian music as well as fewer minority and ethnic minority programmes.

The Media Council imposed a fine of HUF 30 thousand on the operator of Európa Rádió of Debrecen because on several occasions during a programming week in January it did not use the signature tune specified in its public contract, and it broadcast fewer programmes dealing with local public life, programmes facilitating local day-to-day life and public service programmes than its commitment. In addition, it exceeded its commitments concerning the maximum number of reruns on two broadcast days.

The Media Council imposed a fine of HUF 20 thousand on the operator of Tatabányai Televízió, as on a programming week in January it did not fulfil its commitment on the minimum transmission time intended for daily regular news programmes, and it networked with Körzeti Televízió Tata in a period other than the one specified in its contract.

When imposing a fine, the Media Council always determines the form and extent of the fine with due consideration to all circumstances of the specific case, including all other violations in the same subject previously committed by the operator, and employs the principle of progressiveness and proportionality.

m3.hu to be launched on 1 May

Taking into consideration the request of the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA), the Media Council modified the register of public service media services, with the most important change being the public availability, as an on-demand service provided free of charge, of the programme content of M3 at m3.hu, starting from 1 May.