Radio tenders and decisions of the Media Council

The Media Council approved the drafts calls for tender for the Budapest 105.9 MHz regional radio frequency, as well as for the Székesfehérvár 106.6 MHz, Tatabánya 107.0 MHz, Dunaújváros 99.1 MHz, Mór 89.0 MHz and Szekszárd 102.5 MHz local frequencies. The document on the community use of the Budapest frequency is already available on the NMHH website, while the others will be available from Friday. In the tender procedure of Mosonmagyaróvár 90.9 MHz, the Media Council carried out a formal review of the only submitted tender, and registered its submitter, Karc FM Média Kft.

The council warned the service provider of Forrás Rádió in Esztergom for broadcasting less Hungarian music, news, as well as fewer programmes for public service and helping local public life and everyday local life than it contractually agreed to. In applying the legal consequence, the Council again took into account in this specific case that media service providers were also in a difficult position to fulfil their commitments during the pandemic, for example with regards to local programmes.

The Media Council imposed a fine of HUF 10,000 on the service provider of 7.TV in Békéscsaba for surreptitious advertising, because the contact details of a local internet and television service provider appeared in a promotional message following a March episode of its programme Aktuális. The service provider of 101.7 Pécs FM was also warned by the Council for surreptitious advertising, because it published the contact details of a taxi company in a promotional message in a segment for traffic news.

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.

The Czech partner authority imposed a fine as a result of the NMHH’s complaint

RRTV, the Czech partner authority imposed a fine of 200,000 Czech koruna, i.e., approximately HUF 2.8 million, on the service provider of AMC, subject to its jurisdiction but broadcasting in Hungary, based on a complaint forwarded by the Media Council. RRTV established that the channel had violated Czech laws relating to the protection of minors by broadcasting the film Dracula 2000 containing violent scenes at 7 p.m. last June instead of the 22 p.m. to 6 a.m. time slot. This threatened the intellectual development of children and was capable of causing agitation, fear and permanent anxiety in them.

The full  of the weekly meetings of the Media Council is available on the council’s website together with the minutes of the sessions and all the resolutions – the latest documents are published after the necessary certification and administration processes.