Search results : 148

On 12 September 2014, the Hungarian Parliament adopted an act that makes it impossible for the two national commercial television channels (RTL Klub and TV2) to request cable companies to pay a retransmission fee. As a result of this new piece of legislation, the two broadcasters have to proceed with an in-depth restructuring of their business models. The two national commercial broadcasters have long been planning to collect retransmission fees from the cable companies as of 1 January 2015. Thus far, RTL Klub and TV2 (unlike the other channels) have been available for free, since before the digital...

In summer 2014, the legislator in Hungary introduced a special tax. This special tax could significantly reshape the entire domestic media market. The advertising tax law, which entered into effect in mid-July, imposes a new levy on income from advertising. The range of subjects, who must pay this tax, is rather broadly defined. The new special tax has elicited protest by all market players. In addition to electronic, print and online press products, it also extends tax liability on outdoor and internet advertising. Pursuant to the legislative intent, the tax needs to be paid not only by companies...

On 22 November 2012, the Hungarian National Assembly adopted the new Act XXXVI of 2013 on the Electoral Procedure (hereinafter “the new Electoral Procedure”), which lays down amended rules regarding political advertising during campaign periods for national parliamentary, municipal, and European Parliamentary elections. According to Article 32 (3) of Act CLXXXV of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Media (hereinafter “the Media Law”) political advertisements may only be disseminated in compliance with the relevant rules of the new Electoral Procedure. Political advertisements are programmes released...

On 5 July 2013, the Hungarian Parliament adopted an amendment to Act CLXXXV of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Media. The amendment, which came into effect on 1 August 2013, modified the preconditions for nominating and appointing the President of Nemzeti Média és Hírközlési Hatóság (National Media and Infocommunications Authority - NMHH). According to the Act, the President of the NMHH - as the convergent authority monitoring the infocommunications and media sector - at the same time becomes the nominee for chairperson of the Media Council, which issues decisions involving the monitoring of media...

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted its Resolution 1941 (2013), entitled “Request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary”, on 25 June 2013. The context of the adoption of the Resolution is very specific and it is set out in the first paragraph. The PACE “takes note of the report on the request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary, which was prepared following the motion for a resolution on “Serious setbacks in the fields of the rule of law and human rights in Hungary” (Doc. 12490)”. It also “takes note of the opinion...