Media Council of the Media Authority: nearly HUF 90 million for programme production

Published: 20 May 2022

The Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (the Media Authority) decided at its meeting this week, among others, that more than HUF 89 million will be awarded for the production of radio news programmes, thematic and service magazine programmes. Long-awaited surveys have been carried out on the services supporting television use.

Twenty-eight project proposals have won a total of more than HUF 89 million in the first round of the Media Council’s 2022 call for proposals encouraging the production of news, thematic and service magazine programmes. The following radio stations have been given the opportunity to produce news programmes: Gong Rádió in Kecskemét, Rádió 1 in Budapest, Pécs, Salgótarján, Kisunfélegyháza, Szeged and Debrecen, Vörösmarty Rádió in Székesfehérvár, 88.9 Best FM Zalaegerszeg and Klasszik Rádió 92.1 in Budapest. In the category of service magazine programmes, the successful applicants were Aktív Rádió from Szolnok, Mária Rádió from Veszprém, Sárvár Rádió, Rádió Törökszentmiklós and 100.7 Best FM from Eger, Alpha Rádió from Székesfehérvár, Európa Rádió in Miskolc and Nyíregyháza, Bajai Rádió, KORONAfm100 from Kalocsa, Forrás Rádió from Tatabánya, 104.0 Rádió1 from Békéscsaba, 98.4 Mega Rádió and Csaba Rádió, as well as Karc FM and Rádió M in Budapest. Táska Rádió in Székesfehérvár and Trend FM in Budapest could use the funding to produce thematic magazines.

Comprehensive research on services supporting television

The Authority, with the involvement of civil society organisations of visually and hearing impaired people, assessed the level of awareness and perception of the technical solutions (subtitling, sign language interpretation and audio narration) provided to assist the media reception of blind and partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing people. A sample of 1,000 people, representing the entire population, was used to assess the popularity of the possibility of showing foreign films in their original language and of child protection features.

88 percent of the respondents to the survey, based on a sample of the population, are aware of the age rating for the protection of minors. Far fewer people have heard of audio narration or the regulation of the broadcasting of foreign films in their original language (39% and 30% respectively). Almost half of the respondents to the survey of 1,000 people felt that the number of subtitled programmes had increased over the past few years, but only 32 percent felt that the quality had improved. 63 percent of viewers would like to watch dubbed films, and 37 percent would like to watch films in their original language, especially those who speak or are learning a foreign language. Only 28 percent of parents use the child protection features surveyed, although 82 percent said they have some form of control over what programmes their child watches.

A survey of people with visual and hearing impairments shows that although service providers comply with regulations and make subtitling, sign language interpretation or audio narration available, a significant proportion of people concerned are unaware of these services or are not satisfied with the quality of their provision.  66 percent of people with visual impairments have already used audio narration, but 92 percent say it is too complicated to set up.

The survey points out that improving the usability, knowledge and dissemination of technical options could be an important objective and identifies the main points to be addressed. The results were also sent to the television channels subject to the statutory obligations, with a view to improving their services. The full document is available on the Authority's website.

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