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The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE

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While the broadcasting market was liberalized from 1997 <strong>on</strong>,in the print sector, significant ownership changes took place ina relatively short period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time following the fall <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the communistregime. Foreign media ownership became a dominantfactor in the sector by the end <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 1990s. 91Status <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalism in Hungaryby Péter Bajomi-Lázár, Department <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Communicati<strong>on</strong>,Kodolanyi University College<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hungarian press and media have underg<strong>on</strong>e significantchanges over the past 15 years, marked with the privatizati<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the press and media; a varying degree <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> politicalpressure <strong>on</strong>, especially, the public service media; financialdifficulties <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the press; lowering social prestige <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the journalisticcommunity; and changing standards <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> journalism.This paper describes the major issues <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>temporary journalismin Hungary.Legal Background<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hungarian press and media are regulated by two majorsources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> law, namely the 1986 Press Act, as modified in1990, and the 1996 Radio and Televisi<strong>on</strong> Act, amended in2002. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> first, which primarily regulates the print press,is relatively liberal, the sec<strong>on</strong>d, which regulates the broadcastmedia, is more restrictive; both laws are now largelycompatible with European regulati<strong>on</strong>.86 World Associati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Newspapers, World Press Trends 2003 (2003) 135.87 European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists, Eastern Empires. Foreign Ownership in Central andEastern European <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Ownership, Policy Issues and Strategies (EFJ, Brussels, 2003) 33.88 European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists, Eastern Empires. Foreign Ownership in Central andEastern European <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Ownership, Policy Issues and Strategies (EFJ, Brussels, 2003) 34.89 European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists, European <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ownership: Threats <strong>on</strong> the Landscape.A Survey <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> who owns what in Europe (EFJ, Brussels, 2002) 21.90 European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists, Eastern Empires. Foreign Ownership in Central andEastern European <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Ownership, Policy Issues and Strategies (EFJ, Brussels, 2003) 36.91 European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists, Eastern Empires. Foreign Ownership in Central andEastern European <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Ownership, Policy Issues and Strategies (EFJ, Brussels, 2003) 37.COUNTRY REPORTS – HUNGARY 135

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