11-11-2010

Hungarian Media Bill Could Limit TV Expansion

By FNE Staff

    A new Hungarian media bill now being drafted would limit commercial TV corporations to a 35% share of the viewing market, according to a local news reports. Index.hu says a draft of the bill would require TV companies with more than a 35% audience share to sell channels or reduce the audience share through programming content to fall below the 35% level within six months. The bill could go to parliament by the end of the month for a vote by the end of 2010.

    In addition, TV companies would be prohibited from launching new channels. The new restrictions would have the greatest impact on leading Hungarian companies RTL Klub (www.rtlklub.hu) and TV2, (tv2.hu), in effect limiting any plans for growth in Hungary.

    The draft would also place limits on stations with over 10% audience shares and would ban excessively noisy commercials, and ban all advertising on children's, religious, and news programmes. However, the proportion of advertising allowed would rise from the current 6 minutes per hour, to 9 minutes per hour.

    Published in Hungary
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