Six new online programmes coming up about topics from the Kokas method to the role of fathers

Published: 13 July 2017

At its weekly session, the Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) decided to award more than HUF 5 million for the production of six online videos and series under the Hungarian Media Patronage programme. The board set the seal on the invitation to tender for radio media service in Budapest, Telkibánya and Tokaj respectively, and it also imposed a fine on a local television channel for displaying political advertisements in an irregular manner several times.

Decisions concerning online and television programmes

The János Neumann tender was launched for funding online public service programmes under the Hungarian Media Patronage Programme. In the fifth round of the 2016 tender, the Media Council awarded a total of HUF 5.46 million to six entries. In the third season of the series Paraszti ételek (Peasant Food) at mandiner.hu, an online series of four short non-fiction videos will explore the values of the traditional gastronomy of Satu Mare County (Szatmár in Hungarian). The 5x5-minute video entitled A Kokas-módszer (The Kokas Method) available at ikonstudio.hu, will showcase the music therapy method developed by Klára Kokas, a disciple of Zoltán Kodály. A series called Apa (is) csak egy van!? (You Only Have One Father (As Well)!?), focusing on the role of fathers in today’s societies, often different from traditional family models, will also be available on the same website. Three non-fiction series will be produced for the website of Szombathelyi Televízió, sztv.hu: The two-episode programme entitled A Szombathelyi Egyházmegye Kincsei (The Treasures of the Diocese of Szombathely) will explore the parish churches of the Diocese of Szombathely, while the one called Szent Márton nyomában a Szombathelyi Egyházmegyében (In the Footsteps of Saint Martin in the Diocese of Szombathely) will present fourteen churches dedicated to Saint Martin.

The Council imposed a fine of HUF 40,000 on the media service provider of the Újpest Közösségi Televízió channel for displaying in an irregular manner political advertisements promoting two political parties on their broadcast teletext 192 times during a programme week in April selected for random check. Outside the period of election campaigns, political advertisements could only have been shown in relation to a referendum that had been officially announced. This time as well, the Media Council determined the measure of the legal consequences in accordance with the principle of progressiveness and proportionality.

Radio decisions

The Media Council set the seal on the invitations to tender for the local radio frequencies of Budapest 101.6 MHz, Telkibánya 100.6 MHz and Tokaj 101.8 MHz, which will be available on the website of the Media Council from Thursday and Friday on, respectively. Bids may be submitted to the Authority on 21, 11 and 14 September, respectively.

In the tender procedure concerning the Pécs 101.7 MHz regional radio frequency, the Council rejected the bids submitted by Pécs Rádió Kft. and Regionális Rádió Kft. on grounds of formal invalidity, and ordered P1 Rádió Kft. to submit missing documents. In the tender procedure concerning the Kaposvár 99.9 MHz local frequency, the Council also rejected the bids submitted by TIT-Rádió Kft. and Regionális Rádió Kft. on grounds of formal invalidity, and ordered Mambó Rádió Kft. to submit missing documents. In the tender procedure concerning the Veszprém 90.6 MHz local radio frequency, the Council registered the bid submitted by LB Rádió Kft., while it rejected the bid submitted by Regionális Rádió Kft. on grounds of formal invalidity.