NATO Individual Democratic Institutions Research Fellowships (1994-1996)

Why Public Service Broadcasting Eastern vs. Western Europe: Circumstances and Challenge Catalin Preda (Romania) [Back to Index]

2.7. Hungarian Radio - Magyar Radio 2.7.1. History and evolution 1893 In February the first "broadcasting service" in the World begun in Budapest, the capital-city of Hungary, as the Hungarians are saying. With the help of the telephone network and using telephone headphones, a 14 hour edited program was transmitted to the subscribers. It was named "The Telephonic News Dispenser." 1925 In May the Hungarian Radio was officially born, but it continued to use in a happy coexistence, until 1940, the "telephonic news dispenser". This was done by a joint stock company named "Hungarian Telephone - Journal and Radio Company." First regular radio broadcasts started on 1 December the same year. 1926-1945 Hungarian Radio had an extreme important role in promoting good music, literature and pedagogy, in preventing the vulgarisation and in defending the Hungarian language. 1945 The "telephonic news dispenser" was officially terminated with the establishing of the "Central News Agency Share-holding Company." 1946-1955 Hungarian Radio has developed other two national channels, covering almost the whole Hungarian territory. 1956 It was the year of the Hungarian Revolution, and the first combats between people from Budapest and the Hungarian security forces sustained by the Warsaw Pact intervention forces took place around the Hungarian radio-house, which had its front side inscribed: "Free Radio Kossuth." 1970-1980 Hungarian Radio separated from Hungarian Television at the beginning of the 1970's and, since then, it broadcasts on three national public channels. 1981-1988 In the middle of the 1980's Hungarian Radio introduced its first (and then its second) commercial radio-station. The first one still covers almost the whole national territory of the country, and the second one just the Budapest area. 1989 The reformist communists in power introduced in Parliament a law setting up a moratorium on attributing frequencies, that was aimed to stop broadcasting licence granting until the approval of a law preventing the media to be controlled by so-called undesirable owners. 1992-1994 Incidents between the Hungarian Government and the national public radio and TV companies. The Prime-minister asked several times for the dismissal of the presidents of the two institutions, and under governmental pressures even some radio-journalists were dismissed leading to the first strike in radio's history and to international protests. 1995 In December the Hungarian Parliament adopted - at last, the Audiovisual Law. It stipulates that there are three bodies supervising audio and visual media in Hungary: The National Council for Audiovisual, The National Public Service for Financing, and The National Council for Frequencies. 1996 In February the Hungarian Parliament elected the Administrative Councils of the Hungarian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and of the public television. Both institutions, which were under state control, became recently stock companies, but they will be still owned exclusively by the state. A major financial crisis affected the Radio Corporation and it was necessary the intervention of the Hungarian Government which granted an urgent credit that saved the institution from collapse. The credit must however be repaid by 31 December this year. Note - about the incidents in radio and television. The first incident was about the leadership of the national radio-station. It happened in 1992 when the Prime-minister of the time, Josef Antall, required the dismissal of Hungarian Radio's president. The state chief, Arpad Goencz, refused to approve that request invoking the principle of non-violating the freedom of the press. In December 1992 the Parliament adopted a law offering to the Prime-minister's office the control of the budgets of the public radio and TV companies. Also in December it was the second incident, when the presidents of the two institutions were dismissed by governmental decision. But, once again, the president of Hungary refused to sign the dismissal act. He stressed that PM's action violated the freedom of the press and constituted a brutally interference in the freely activity of the media. In 1993 the International Press Institute - IPI, representing media employees from more than 80 countries, expressed its concern over the offensive that Hungarian Government launched against the independence of public radio and television stations. A new incident between Radio and the Hungarian executive power took place in March - April 1993: 129 radio-journalists from the national station were dismissed. As a protest, radio-staff organised the first strike in the whole history of the national radio in Hungary. The International Press Institute - which is a consultative body of the Council of Europe, expressed its concern and required the Council to exert pressures on Hungary's Government, accused by IPI of continuously trying to take control - by any means, over public Radio and Television. The International Union of Journalists, representing over 95 media organizations from 75 countries, also expressed its concern and solidarity with Hungarian colleagues. In 1994 it was announced a huge reduction of Radio's staff over a period of just three months. One third of the personnel was placed on the dismissal list. The Hungarian opposition considered completely false the explications offered by the Government, that the reduction of the staff was imposed by budgetary reasons, and reaffirmed its belief that the Government is trying to take control over public media. The measure was not put into effect.

2.7.2. Legal framework The Audiovisual Law It was adopted in December 1995, after years of debate and controversy. It stipulates that the Hungarian Radio becomes a stock company having the State as the single owner. Public foundations were also created for guarantying real independence for Hungarian Radio and Television Corporations in their relations with the State. The law specifies some minimal rules for protecting Hungarian and European media against the American monopoly, especially against the one of Hollywood. One of the rules says that at least 70% of the programmes broadcast in Hungary must be of European origin, and amongst them 51% must be produced in Hungary. The National Council for Radio and Television It was established by the Audiovisual Law. The Council controls every broadcast made in Hungary and is under Parliamentary control. The National Public Service for Financing It was created also under the Audiovisual Law's provisions, and it is a body that has as its main purpose to financially support the production and the broadcast of radio-programmes. This body is directly responsible to the Parliament. The National Council for Frequencies It is the body that grants the licences for broadcasting and attributes the frequencies. This Council is controlled by the Government. The Board of Directors The Board leads the Hungarian Radio stock company and proposes a president for the Administrative Council, who is than approved by the president of Hungary. The Administrative Council Is the executive body of the Hungarian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, that deals with the day-to-day managing problems of the institution. It is appointed by the Parliament in front of which it is directly responsible.

2.7.3. Hungarian Radio Network Kossuth Radio is a 24 hour information channel, with 80% talking and 20% music of all kinds. It broadcasts news every hour, documentaries, literature, theatre. It is the most popular programme in Hungary. Petofi Radio has programmes for young people and for the old ones, utility information, entertainment, sports and music. It is a familial radio with 50% talking and 50% music. Bartok Radio broadcasts mainly classical music, cultural information, science, and theatre. It is not a popular programme, with only 1 - 2% audience in Hungary. Danubius Radio is a commercial radio station that started as a programme for tourists and than developed very much and very rapidly. It will be privatised this year. Calypso Radio is also a commercial station that will be privatised the following months. It broadcasts only in the Budapest area. 2.7.4. Perspectives According to the Audiovisual Law, Magyar Radio became this year a stock company owned by the State and led by a 'Public Foundation', completely independent from the State. The new stock company will be managed by a Board of Directors who will propose for validation to the Hungarian Parliament a President of the Board. The president will than be approved by the Head of the State. The two commercial programmes of Magyar Radio, Danubius and Calypso, will be sold and the money resulted will be used for self-financing, technologic development, and investments.