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The Hungarian Parliament adopted the new consolidated Act on Communications drafted on the basis of EU communications legislation. The Act sets out rules for the telecommunications sector, the cable TV market and postal services. Its main objectives are to ensure the infrastructural development of the information society, to liberalize the Hungarian voice telephony market and to lead the Hungarian communications market to international standard. The Act is also aimed at ensuring competition, and calls for co-operation among communications networks. In addition to general competition regulation...

On 14 March 2001, the largest internet content providers of Hungary have founded their professional organisation, the Magyarországi Tartalomszolgáltatók Egyesülete (Hungarian Content Providers' Association - MTE). The main objective of the MTE is to fulfil the self-regulatory role concerning internet content. At the time of its foundation, the MTE has also approved an Tartalomszolgáltatási Kódex (Internet content code). The code is based on the distinction between edited content, published by the content provider; paid content, that means content of commercial nature such as advertising; and user-generated...

In December 1999, based on Government Resolution No. 2198 (IX.9.), the Hungarian government prepared modification proposals to Act I on Radio and Television ("Media Act"). The proposed changes consist of 20 articles. The main purpose of the amendments is to harmonise the Media Act with the Council Directive 89/552 EEC as amended by Council Directive 97/36 EC ("Directive") and the European Convention on Transfrontier Television of the Council of Europe ("Convention"). According to the proposal, programme distribution will be considered as broadcasting and will be regulated in a separate chapter....

On 30 June 1997 the National Radio and Television Commission (NRTC) granted licenses to two national commercial terrestrial television networks. The winners of the broadcasting tender were MAGYAR RTL and MTM SBS. NRTC rejected IRISZ TV's bid despite the fact that IRISZ TV had offered the highest concession fee of all applicants. As a result, in 1997, IRISZ TV filed a lawsuit against the NRTC and requested the Court to annul NRTC's decision on national terrestrial television licenses (see IRIS 1998-4: 9). In February 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that NRTC acted illegally when it did not disqualify...

On 22 February 1999, the Hungarian Supreme Court ruled in summary that the Hungarian National Radio and Television Commission (NRTC) did not act in accordance with law when it did not disqualify CLT-UFA's MAGYAR RTL's application for national terrestrial broadcast licences, awarded by NRTC in June 1997 after a public bid (Supreme Court judgement number Gf. VI.31. 856/1998/19, see IRIS 1999-3: 8; IRIS 1998-4: 9). In April 1999, NRTC filed a protest against this judgement in the Supreme Court. According to Article 270 of Act III of 1952 on Civil Procedure, unless otherwise prescribed by law, the...