New Media Law being considered
Hungary may soon have a new Media Law, reports Broadband TV News.
The website attributes index.hu, Fidesz and MSZP as the sources of the
information.
The country’s two leading political parties are preparing the final text of the
new law which is expected to be voted on in Parliament before the end of the
year.
The new legislation calls for the establishment of a new broadcasting regulator
to replace the existing National Radio and Television Board (ORTT).
In addition, the leading commercial broadcasters, RT Klub and TV2, would be
allowed to launch new television services.
Main source: Broadband
TV News
Item added: 11th November 2008
Digital
Christmas is coming
Antenna Hungaria, the network operator, has announced that the free to air DTT
platform MiniDig TV will launch on the 1st December 2008.
To ensure that the launch can take place work has begun to revamp the Kabhegy
transmitting station. This will be followed by further work on the Szentes
station in November.
The Kabhegy station will provide DTT coverage for North-West and Central
Dunántúl, the central part of Budapest. The Szentes station broadcasts to the
South East of Hungary.
The MiniDig TV service will be available in Budapest, Szeged, Gyor, Kecskemét,
Székesfehervá Tatabánya, Kaposvár, Békéscsaba, Veszprém and the Zalaegerszeg
region.
In all Christmas services will be available to 6 million Hungarians around 60%
of the population.
Main source: Antenna Hungaria press release
Item added: 27th October 2008
NHH and Antenna Hungária sign contract
On the 5th September 2008 Hungary’s National Communications
Authority (NHH) officially signed the contract awarding Antenna Hungária (AH)
the digital-terrestrial TV and digital-radio transmission rights in Hungary.
Antenna Hungária has been granted a licence to operate
5 DTT multiplexes and 1 radio multiplex, both for 12 years. AH will start DAB
radio broadcasts and DTT broadcasts on mux.A, mux.B (mobile TV) and mux.C
before the end of the year. Broadcasts on mux.D and mux.E will start after the
switch off of analogue broadcasting in 2011.
Once completed transmissions from both the DAB and DTT platforms will reach 94%
and 96% of the population respectively.
Initially the DTT platform will cover 60% of the population at switch on in
2008 and will operate from three sites, Budapest, Szentes and Kabhegy.
In 2009 another 8 transmitting sites will be added increasing the coverage to
88% and then further transmitters to bring the coverage to 95% by the end of
2010.
As expected DVB-H services will also be started in and around Budapest in 2008
with population coverage of 16%. By the end of 2009 services will be available
in 7 larger cities and the area of lake Balaton increasing the coverage to 30%
and then to 50% of the population by the end of 2012.
Source: Antenna
Hungária press release
Item added: 9th September 2008
DTT broadcasting launched by the end of 2008
Parliament, in a session on Friday the 25th July, approved the decision by NHH to award the licence to operate the countries DTT network to Antenna Hungária Zrt.
Antenna Hungária will eventually operate 5 DTT multiplexes, 3 of which can begin as soon as possible, with the remaining two starting after spectrum is made available by the analogue switch off in 2011/12.
Services are expected to begin by the end of the year and initially cover 59% of the population. DVB-H services covering 16% of the population are also expected to begin by the end of the year.
DVB-T services will use MPEG-4, H.264 audio video coding.
Source: NHH website
Item added: 22nd August 2008
Antenna Hungária awarded DTT platform licence
The National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) has awarded the licence to operate the countries DTT platform to Antenna Hungária and Broadcasting is expected to begin by the end of the year. The 12-year licence covers the eventual provision of 5 TV and 1 radio multiplex which can all become operational after the ASO at the end of 2011.
At service launch 3 multiplexes will be available.
The licence also gives Antenna Hungária the right to operate a DVB-H service on the 3rd multiplex.
Source: Antenna Hungaria website
Item added: 28th July 2008
Two bid for DTT licence
The National Communication Authority in Hungary (NHH) reports on its website that it received two bids for DTT licences to operate all five DTT multiplexes. The bidders were network operator Antenna Hungária and the Slovakian company, Digital Broadcasting.
NHH will check on the eligibility of the two bidders during the next two weeks and is expected to announce the winner in August. It is hoped that DTT services can be launched by the end of the year.
Source: NHH website
Item added: 28th April 2008
Hungary issues call for DTT tenders
The Hungarian National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) has issued a call to tender for five DVB-T and one T-DAB multiplexes for a 12year period.
The results of the tender will be announced in the summer, with the winners of the first two TV and one radio multiplex licences expected to start broadcasting by the end of the year.
The third DVB-T multiplex will have space allocated for mobile TV services, while the remaining two will be introduced following analogue switch off.
The tender will not be open to analogue TV broadcasters with over 300,000 subscribers, and the deadline for bids is April 24.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 1st April 2008
Hungary to issue DTT tenders soon
Hungary’s National Communications Authority (NHH) is to issue tenders for digital TV and radio broadcasting before the end of this month.
One will be for five DTT multiplexes, and the second for one radio VHF radio multiplex.
The move follows a decision by an ad-hoc parliamentary committee earlier this week to approve the tender documentation regarding digital broadcasting network operating rights.
A DTT service may now make its debut in Hungary before the end of this year.
The announcement came soon after comments made by Ilkidó Sarkady, the Hungarian government commissioner for audiovisual media, at the recent DVB World 2008 conference held recently in Budapest.
She had expressed her hope that Hungary would finally see the launch of a DTT platform later this year.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 23rd March 2008
Hungary prepares for DTT
Hungary’s National Communications Authority (NHH) has announced that it will hold a tender for a national DTT licence this March, reports Broadband TV News.
The regulator will offer five multiplexes, three for TV and DVB-H services and the remaining two only after analogue switch off, which takes place on the 30th June 2011.
DTT services could be up and running by the end of 2008.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 5th February 2008
NCAH announces delay to Digital tendering
The National Communications Authority of Hungary (NCAH) has announced that it is unable to issue invitations to tender for operating rights to the digital radio and digital TV networks because parliamentary approval still needs to be granted.
The tender process was to be for one digital radio and five digital television free-to-air broadcasting networks and is expected to continue when the NCAH ad-hoc committee receives approval for its tendering documentation, which was completed in September.
The Act on Broadcasting and the digital switchover had called on the NCAH to issue the license tender by 31 October 2007.
Source: NCAH website
Item added: 7th November 2007
Regulator prepares for DTT licensing
The National Communications Authority (NHH) has issued its plans for the allocation of DVB-T licenses for consultation.
Eventually licenses will be issued for the operation of 5 national DTT multiplexes.
Spectrum is immediately available for 3 of the multiplexes with space for the remaining 2 multiplexes becoming available after analogue switch-off is completed at the end of 2011.
NHH is expected to allocate the DTT licenses in early 2008 with services to follow soon thereafter.
The invitation to tender for the DTT licenses is expected this Autumn, not later than 31 October 2007, and following the publication of the responses to the current consultation.
Viewers will be able to access free-to-air television services, including interactive services.
In addition, space on the second multiplex has been reserved for DVB-H services.
DTT services must be made available to 94% of the population.
Main source: Digitag
Original source: NHH website
Item added: 28th August 2007
Hungary prepares for digital broadcasting
György Kovács, the president of the Hungarian National Radio and Television Commission (ORTT), has told Broadband TV News that the country is likely to have a full digital strategy in place by the second half of July.
The first step was taken earlier this week, when parliament approved the launch of DTT services. A tender for the right to operate up to four multiplexes will take place this autumn, with the winner then selecting what channels will be carried. However, most of the first multiplex will already be reserved for existing services (M1, M2, Duna TV, RTL Klub, TV2, HirTV, ATV and a new national commercial channel) and part of the second for mobile TV. Hungary plans to shortly pass a new media law and is aiming to complete the transition to digital broadcasting in 2010. In another important development, the Hungarian parliament has overturned a controversial rule limiting the maximum number of subscribers any cable operator can have to a third of the population.
Source: Chris Dziadul at Broadband TV News
Item added: 21st June 2007
Antenna Hungaria begins mobile TV trial
Hungarian broadcasting and transmission company Antenna Hungaria in conjunction with T-Mobile have begun a mobile TV trial using DVB-H technology. The trial, which is expected to last several months, will distribute public channels M1, M2, Duna and Duna2 Autonomia. Launched on the 1st April the trial will test the interoperability of the two companies systems. The trial is expected to last for several months.
Source: Various plus Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 19th April 2007
DTT licensing likely in 2008
The National Communication Authority of Hungary (NHH) has announced that the country will start to sell DTT licences in 2008 subject to parliament passing new legislation regulating DTT frequencies beforehand.
At present limited DTT transmissions are broadcast in Budapest and Kabhegy.
2012 has been set as the date for analogue switch-off.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 27th March 2007
Debate over digital TV bill hinges on regulation of content
A bill on digital television in Hungary is being contested by those who wish to see the mediums broadcast content overseen by state authorities rather than liberalized according to an article on the Budapest Business Journals website. It says that speedy approval of the bill could give Hungary an advantage when frequency allocations are made in May and June.
The debate is expected to continue.
Source: Budapest Business Journal
Item added: 25th January 2006
Previous
A better content proposition and regulatory framework are needed if Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is to be a success in Hungary. Says Géza Laszlo, CEO of Antenna Hungaria (AHRT), the organisation responsible for bringing DTT to Hungarian consumers, "I believe today the major obstacles are the regulatory framework. The Hungarian media law does not really cover DTT. There are some debates on whether it is open enough to start the project, or even whether we should change the law to get started with professional broadcasting."
Mihaly Galik, who heads the institute of marketing and media at Corvinus University in Budapest, also believes there are significant regulatory issues impacting DTT in country. "There is kind of a deadlock, because our broadcasting law does not fit the requirements of DTT," he says. "Secondly, the government has not decided yet on the strategy of introduction of DTT. I am quite sure the cable companies will protest against the state subsidies attached to the introductory process."
He continues, "The problem is that Hungarian media law needs to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament. This is the main obstacle. Right now, there are two big political parties in Hungary, and they do not agree on anything."
The Hungarian market is covered 60 percent by cable television, with the largest player being UPC and the second largest being Matav, the incumbent telephone operator. According to Laszlo, the stance of cable players and the telecoms operator Matav are not helping DTT.
Laszlo still is optimistic that DTT in Hungary will be a success, but not in the near future. "In around three to six years, [DTT will] take over the analogue signals," he says. "Regarding the pilot project, in one year, the regulatory body can decide about the additional channels. We can fill the 10 channels installed, but we are at least three years away from a full commercial DTT launch."
Thes extracts are taken from a longer in depth article attributed to the following people
Contact Géza Laszlo, Antenna Hungaria, 00 36 1 203 6060; Csilla Voros, AGB Research, 00 36 1 461 7050; Mihaly Galik, Corvinus University, Galik@uny- corvinus.hu
Background
Although DVB-T pilot trails began in Budapest during 1999 the transition to DTT has been slow.
However a new electronic communication act replacing the existing telecom law is hoped to speed up this process.
The law has already resulted in the creation of a new regulatory body called the National Radio and Television Board (ORTT) and the provision of a new grant to Antenna Hungária .
The grant enabled the DTT project started in Budapest back in 1999 to be extended to Kabhegy near Lake Balaton in May 2002.
According to Antenna Hungária a free-to-air pilot broadcast with 10 programmes in two multiplexes will be launched during the last quarter of 2004 covering the Budapest region.
For more up to date information look at the Antenna Hungária website
http://www.ahrt.hu/en/services/1FCC9EB7E1AF428A89E065D4B74090B9.php
