Twenty-two television programmes are sponsored by the Media Council

The Media Council announced winners in its funding scheme for local and regional television stations in this year’s first round of the call for tender to support the production of news programmes, public affairs and cultural magazine programmes. Twenty-nine television applications are given a total funding of HUF 133 million. Pomáz Televízió, Pannon TV of Vojvodina, Dunaföldvár TV, Hajdúnánási Televízió, Csongrád TV, VTV Mór, Rábaközi Televízió of Csorna, Füzesabonyi Városi Televízió, RTV Szekszárd, Sárvári Televízió and Gólya TV of Bercel can use the awarded grant to produce public infotainment programmes. Kanizsa TV, Keszthelyi Televízió, Halas TV of Kiskunhalas, Kapos Televízió, Halom Televízió of Százhalombatta, Városi Televízió Szeged, Kalocsa Városi Televízió and Danubia Televízió of Tahitótfalu can produce news programmes. Debrecen Televízió, 7.Tv of Békéscsaba, Kölcsey Televízió of Nyíregyháza, Kapos Televízió, Pannon Televízió of Pécs, Ipoly Televízió of Balassagyarmat, Kecskeméti Televízió, Bajai Televízió and Budapest’s Hegyvidék Televízió and Centrum Televízió can produce cultural magazine programmes.

Radio tenders and procedures

The Media Council conducted the formal review of the submitted tenders for the community use of local media services at Salgótarján 99.3 MHz and Szekszárd 104.5 MHz and in both two cases it registered Karc FM Média Kft as the sole tenderer.

The Media Council finalised the tender notices for the use of the Székesfehérvár 96.1 MHz and Kiskőrös 91.7 MHz regional radio media services: offers may be submitted for the calls for tenders on 5 and 7 July.

The Media Council imposed a total fine of HUF 50,000 on the operator of Rádió 1 for airing less spoken word content as well as fewer programmes dealing with and assisting local public and everyday life, and more music than stipulated in its contractual commitments during a reviewed programming week in February. In applying the sanction, the Board took into account that media service providers were also in a difficult position to fulfil their commitments during the pandemic, for example with regards to local public news.

The Media Council warned the operator of Szolnok Televízió about surreptitious advertising for urging viewers to buy the products and services of a company producing and distributing pálinka and another dietary supplement in a January broadcasts of the programmes Látóhatár and Élet és egészség. The Board called upon the operator of Gyula Televízió to comply with the legal requirements after it was found broadcasting an advert four times without the distinctive warning sign in February.

When imposing a legal consequence, the Media Council always assesses the type and level of legal consequence based on a gradual approach and the principle of proportionality by taking all the circumstances of each case into account.