NMHH Media Council: HUF 155.2 million production and overhead support for local and district television channels and radio stations

Published: 16 June 2017

At its last session, the Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) awarded a total of HUF 155.2 million to thirty-five proposals. Funds could be obtained for the production of local and district television programmes and for the operational costs of community radio and television stations as collateral benefits of the tenders issued under the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme. The Media Council will also submit for social review the draft of an invitation to tender for the utilisation of an additional Budapest frequency, and imposed fines for surreptitious advertising and too loud television commercials.

Support for local, district television and radio stations

Under the tender for television production support announced in the framework of the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme, the Media Council awarded a total of HUF 101.8 million for 23 local television stations for the support of regular news, public and cultural television programmes over the period of one year. In the news programme category, TV Eger, Tatai Televízió, Ceglédi Városi Televízió, Körös Televízió of Szarvas, Karcag Televízió and Pécs TV submitted successful proposals. Pomáz Televízió, ESTV of Pesterzsébet, TV10 of Kőbánya, Városi Televízió of Bóly, Dunaföldvár TV, Csurgói Városi Televízió, Ladány Televízió of Püspökladány, Szentes Televízió, Danubia Televízió of the Danube Bend region and Városi Televízió of Füzesabony were awarded support for public interest programmes. Debrecen Televízió, Halas TV of Kiskunhalas, Keszthelyi Televízió, Gyöngyösi Városi Televízió, Hatoscsatorna of Budapest, Városi TV Szeged and Bajai Televízió won in the category of cultural programmes.

In the fourth and final round of the overhead and operation costs tender announced for community media service providers in 2017, eight television and four radio stations were awarded a total of HUF 53.4 million worth of funds. The beneficiaries included Rádió Törökszentmiklós, Sárrét FM of Püspökladány, Rádió 87,8 Érd and Rádió Smile of Kiskunfélegyháza, Tatai Televízió, WTV of Vecsés, Kék-Kálló TV of Derecske, Trió TV Dunántúl of Sárvár, Centrum TV of Budapest, Pomáz Televízió, Füred Televízió of the Balaton region and Somogy TV. The remaining HUF 21 million worth of funds under the tender for funding overhead costs will be regrouped to the envelope of this year’s tender for technical development.

Advertising law decisions

A fine of HUF 615 thousand was imposed on the media service provider operating the Story5, 4-es csatorna and Galaxy TV channels for recurring infringement of the law, i.e. for broadcasting commercial breaks that were louder than the programmes before and after the commercials 41 times.

Civil Rádió disregarded the fact that public service advertisements may only be aired with appropriate lead-ins, and it did not fulfil its commitment concerning the daily and weekly ratio of speech, Hungarian music, repeated programmes, public service programmes and news programmes; therefore its media service provider is obliged to pay a fine of HUF 110 thousand.

 The Media Council imposed a HUF 700 thousand fine on TV2 and HUF 35 thousand fine on the service provider of Balaton Televízió for surreptitious advertising. In the previous case, during the 13 January edition of the Mokka show, a Hungarian ski centre was presented, while in the latter, the Közéleti Kávéház show advertised the services of a restaurant in an unlawful manner. On 2 January, the service provider of the Debrecen-based TVD1+ aired, on two occasions, unlawful and surreptitious advertising when showing an advertisement alongside its promotion embedded in its video clips. The Media Council issued a statement in which it called on the media service provider to immediately adhere to the demands of lawful conduct and to refrain from such infringements in the future. When imposing the legal consequences, the Media Council always adheres to the principle of proportionality and progressiveness while considering all circumstances of the case.

Radio-related decisions and festival support

The Media Council accepted the drafts of the invitation to tender for the 98.6 MHz Budapest-based radio frequency, which has been available on its website for review since Thursday. In March, the Media Council requested the office of the NHMM to draw up the tender for two Budapest-based radio broadcasting opportunities, while the draft invitation to tender for the other frequency, Budapest 101.6 MHz was published by the Authority in early May.

From 24 to 27 August 2017, the third edition of the Festival of Cultural Films will be hosted by Szatmárcseke, with the Media Council offering an award of HUF 800 thousand for the winner of the first prize.