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ftm Radio Page - June 10, 2016

Regulator to compensate broadcaster forced off the air
"there are still chances"

The Budapest Appeals Court affirmed a civil lawsuit award to radio station Klubradio from Hungarian media regulator National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), according to news portal 24.hu (June 7). The Court allowed HUF 103 million (€330,000) compensation for frequency usage fees paid during the two years the station was off the air. Klubradio was also awarded a token amount, HUF 5 million (€16,000), for damage to its reputation. According to its statement, the NMHH is weighing asking for a re-trial

Klubradio lost FM broadcasting licenses in 12 cities in a dodgy 2010 beauty contest. After four court decisions in its favor, the station was awarded a license in 2013 for Budapest only. During the exile period the station continued online. Klubradio being a news-talk station offering an editorial position often critical of the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the dismissed license renewal attracted wide attention from media watchers and press freedom advocates appalled by the "illiberal" government actions. Klubradio originally asked for HUF 1.4 billion restitution, about €4.5 million, largely based on lost advertising revenue. (See more about media in Hungary here)

"Although there are very serious doubts about the existence of the rule of law in Hungary, the decision nonetheless shows there are still chances in the enforcement of the law," said Klubradio principal and CEO Andras Arato, quoted by 168ora.hu (June 7). A year ago Belgium-based Brit Media took a minority stake in Klubradio and in November acquired news portal 168ora.hu.

Regulators hold government public broadcasting plans strictly to law
The audience is listening

Turbulence in Poland’s media sphere in recent months has been due, in large part, to the new government’s intention to recast a cultural message. Media watchers in Poland and beyond have been appalled. Directors and staff at public radio broadcaster Polskie Radio – as well as public TV broadcaster TVP – have been removed by the dozen, replaced by believers in the new message.

This past March Culture Ministry authorities and newly appointed Polskie Radio officials announced their intention to move youth-oriented Radio 4 (Czwórka) to digital and online platforms giving FM distribution to all-news Radio 24. The employment of notable Radio 4 show hosts was terminated. Radio 24 was established in 2013, first as an online channel, DAB+ distribution added later. (See more about media in Poland here)

The Culture Ministry’s plan has run smack into the still-independent media regulator KRRIT and telecom regulator UKE. It seems the Radio 4 distribution is set out in the Law on Public Broadcasting, which the Polish parliament intends to re-write sooner or later. The UKE doesn’t want to change more than a dozen analogue and digital distribution platforms until the KRRiT approves the switch, reported wirtualnemedia.pl (June 6). That can’t happen until the so-called "big media law" passes, generally expected to be on or about July 1st, after which both regulators have 30 days at least to process everything. That, of course, extends all of this into deep summer or beyond.

In the Millward Brown RadioTrack audience estimates for February/April, prepared by wirtualnemedia.pl (May 17), public news-talk channel Radio 1 (Jedynka) fell to its lowest market share “in history,” while privately-owned news-talk Radio TOK FM nearly doubled its national audience share against the same period one year on. Ultra-conservative Radio Maryja also continued to lose market share.

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