Media law overshadows Hungary's EU presidency

Sat, 01 Jan 2011

Budapest - Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday amid continuing concern about a controversial new media law.

The government said "misunderstandings" had led to international criticism of the legislation, which empowers a government body to monitor media and to levy fines for printing or broadcasting matter that violates its guidelines, which, so far, are not clearly defined.

The EU presidency would help clear up those misunderstandings, government spokeswoman Anna Nagy was quoted as saying by the Hungarian news agency MTI.

She said opponents of the law had based their criticism on incomplete information about the measures.

The law came into effect on Saturday and the new monitoring commission immediately launched an investigation into a private radio station for playing a song by the US rapper Ice-T which the panel deemed to be harmful to young people.

It was not immediately if or how the broadcaster, Tilos Radio, would be punished.

On Friday, far-right and liberal-green opposition parties joined forces with the opposition Socialists in planning to appeal the media law.

The fines allowed under the law are high enough to bankrupt many media companies, critics say.

Along with the Socialists, the far-right Jobbik and the liberal- Green LMP are now also calling for Hungary's constitutional court to review the law.

Jobbik is objecting to the measure because, among other things, the new commission is dominated by members of the ruling Fidesz party.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360371,overshadows-hungarys-eu-presidency.html.