Hungary

[HU] Election of Broadcasting Commission Ends Funding Blockade

IRIS 2004-5:1/17

Peter Strothmann

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

On 29 March 2004, the Hungarian parliament elected a successor to the President of the Hungarian Országos Rádió és Televízió Testület (Television and Radio Commission ­ ORTT), who had resigned in December 2003, as well as other members.

Following the election, the funding due to public service broadcasting can now be released. Since the ORTT's responsibilities had only been assumed on an interim basis, the payments could not be made until the Commission was elected. The outstanding payments due amounted to approx. HUF 1.6 billion (approx. EUR 6.7 million calculated on 20 April 2004).