Rádió 1 of Baranya County may continue its broadcast

Published: 5 December 2019

The Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) has renewed the radio entitlements of the operator of Rádió 1 of Pécs-Villány, will launch proceedings based on a citizen report objecting to a TV news broadcast and imposed a fine on a radio station in Vác for not fulfilling its obligations under the media service contract.

At the request of the operator, the Board extended the entitlements of the commercial radio station 90.6 RÁDIÓ 1 operating on the local frequencies of Pécs 90.6 MHz and in the extended coverage area of Villány 100.9 MHz for an additional five years until 28 March 2025.

According to citizen reports, in a report of the M1 Híradó news programme on 21 October, the newsreader, in violation of the media governance rules, repeatedly commented on the events and judged people in the news. The news compilation that day reported that opposition MP Ákos Hadházy interrupted the Prime Minister’s speech in Parliament by presenting pre-printed signs. The Media Council has made the decision to proceed in the case against Duna Médiaszolgáltató Nonprofit Zrt. to investigate the matter.

The Media Council fined the operator of Dunakanyar Rádió of Vác because on a reviewed September programming week the radio station used a name differring from its own, and aired less spoken text and fewer public service broadcasts intended for the community and dealing with the local community and facilitating everyday life, and more music and reruns than its contractual commitments.

When imposing a fine, the Media Council always determines the form and extent of the penalties with due consideration to all the circumstances of the specific case and employing the principle of progressiveness and proportionality.

The full agenda of the Media Council’s weekly sessions can be found on the Board’s website, along with the minutes of the meetings and all decisions taken; the latest decisions will be published after the necessary validation and administration period.