Hungary

[HU] Recommendation for Electronic Media Relating to the National Elections in 2006

IRIS 2006-3:1/28

Gabriella Cseh

Budapest

The national parliamentary elections in Hungary will take place on 9 April 2006. On 12 January 2006 the Hungarian National Radio and Television Commission (“NRTC”) published its recommendations for the electronic media on the coverage of the national elections. The main goal of the recommendation is, according to its Chapter on “Goals and Basic Principles”, to better enforce the relevant articles of the Hungarian Media Act and the Act on the Elections Procedure on Balanced Broadcasting.

The document consists of ten chapters: I. Goals and Basic Principles; II. General rules; III. The way of presentation; IV. The politician's participation in political news and magazine programmes during election period; V. The politician's participation in other radio and television programmes; VI. The media's election programmes; VII. The specifics of political advertising; VIII. The presentation of a political party in the capacity of programme supporter; IX. The presentation of the result of public opinion polls; X. Responsibility for the presentation of political communications.

According to Chapter II on General Rules, political communications means:

- the politician's participation in radio and television programmes (political news and magazine programmes, in entertainment shows, and in other shows such as press reviews or educational programmes);

- official campaign programmes (debates, and round table forums);

- political advertisements (paid media appearances); and the

- publishing of public opinion results.

Under the General Rules of the documents the NRTC recommends the following behaviour for Hungarian radio and television channels:

1. No radio or television channels may favour a single party, or the candidate of a single party.

2. As of midnight the day before election-day for 24 hours, political candidates shall not appear in the media. During this period, topics which may be a matter of dispute amongst the candidates are to be avoided, excluding reports on the schedule of voting sites and on their attendance by the voters.

3. During the election campaign period, the presentation of poems, music or other artistic crafts which are used by the political parties for campaign purposes, shall not be recommended.

4. During the election period, to the extent possible, public servants not undertaking political party appearance shall be interviewed on the public interest decisions of the government.

5. During the election period the public servants not undertaking political party appearance shall be interviewed on the public interest decisions of local government.

6. News programmes, site reports, press reviews may not serve party propaganda purposes.

7. During the election period, in the case of political news, press reviews and public opinion polls, special attention shall be paid at the indication of the news sources.