media
February 22, 2010, 10:24 CET
Budapest third in fDi Magazine top 10 ranking for region
Budapest is third in a list of the region's top ten cities ranked by the Financial Times' fDi Magazine. Budapest followed Bucharest and Warsaw, but beat Prague, Bratislava and Krakow in the Top 10 Eastern European Cities shortlist, part of... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2010, 11:48 CET
Irish investors fed more BS about BP, this time on the down-side
You really have to pity the poor Irish investors now sitting on Budapest property. It's bad enough that they had their expectations for making a killing on local real estate unjustifiably stoked when the market was on the up. But... [read complete entry]
January 21, 2010, 09:51 CET
Hungarian news agency chairman for strong public-service media
Chairman of the Hungarian national news agency MTI Matyas Vince called for the fortification of public-service media in an interview to be published in Thursday's issue of weekly Magyar Narancs sent to MTI on Wednesday. Vince said that in order... [read complete entry]
January 20, 2010, 09:18 CET
Court rules accepting winner's bid in radio frequency tender was against law
The Budapest Municipal Court said in a first-instance ruling on Tuesday that accepting the bid by the winner of a tender in the autumn called by radio and television authority ORTT for a countrywide commercial radio frequency was against the... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2009, 10:28 CET
Fidesz delegate to ORTT responds to US Congressional move on radio licenses
Annamária Szalai, Fidesz delegate on the media watchdog body ORTT, hit back at US legislators after the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the ORTT’s refusal to renew the licenses of two radio broadcasters. In a Thursday statement, Szalai... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2009, 10:00 CET
ORTT to call tender for last free Budapest radio frequency
Hungary's frequencies authority ORTT on Wednesday decided to call a tender for the last free radio frequency in Budapest. A tender for the 92.9 MHz frequency is expected to be called in the middle of January and a decision could... [read complete entry]
December 10, 2009, 09:32 CET
Anti-privatization documentary film draws standing ovation at Budapest cinema
A four-part documentary entitled Háború a nemzet ellen ("War against the Nation") about the privatisations of the past 30 years is being screened at Budapest’s Uránia cinema. The audience gave a standing ovation to director István Jelenczki on the opening... [read complete entry]
December 10, 2009, 09:29 CET
US House condemns ORTT decisions on radio licenses
The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a non-binding resolution condemning the decision by Hungarian media authority the ORTT not to renew the licenses of two commercial radio broadcasters, one of them American. The resolution encouraging Hungary to respect... [read complete entry]
December 02, 2009, 10:48 CET
Broadband ADSL, cable subscriptions top 1.7 million
The number of broadband ADSL and cable subscriptions in Hungary reached 1,724,000 at the end of October, 63,000 more than a month earlier and up 217,000 from twelve months earlier, the National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) said on Monday. The number... [read complete entry]
November 20, 2009, 10:49 CET
Media group CEMP takes control of regional text ad network Etarget
Central European Media & Publishing (CEMP) has purchased the remaining 20% of text ad network Etarget, reports napi.hu. According to the portal, CEMP bought 20% of Bratislava-based Etraget SE on November 12, thus becoming a 100% owner of the company,... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2009, 08:39 CET
TV2 owner ProSiebenSat1 to launch cable channel for women
TV2's owner, the ProSiebenSat1 group is entering the Hungarian market with a new channel called TV3, reports index.hu. The channel, which will target women, will be launched in December and probably air reruns only after it starts. TV2 were planning... [read complete entry]
November 09, 2009, 11:14 CET
UK business media mulls Hungarian anti-capitalism
Central Europe needs foreign investment to escape the recession, but a populist response to the crisis in Hungary is taking the country in the opposite direction, British weekly The Economist reports in its latest edition. It writes that American diplomats... [read complete entry]
November 03, 2009, 09:05 CET
Survey finds most Hungarian newspapers losing readers
National dailies in Hungary had fewer readers in the second half of last year than during the same period three years before, a survey on the Hungarian media market revealed. Only tabloid Blikk had a camp or readers over one... [read complete entry]
October 26, 2009, 10:17 CET
Portal Stop.hu to take on operation of website for leftist daily Népszava
Internet portal stop.hu will operate the online version of Socialist daily Népszava, liberal daily Népszabadság learnt. This is unusual because daily papers usually instigate co-operation between their printed and online versions, Népszabadság commented. Stop.hu CEO Éva Horváth is the former... [read complete entry]
July 24, 2009, 10:15 CET
Hungary's entertainment and media market forecast to shrink 4%
Hungary's entertainment and media-industry market could contract by up to USD 200m (HUF 38.33bn), or 4.4pc, to USD 4.3bn in 2009 as a result of the global economic crisis, consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) predicted in a recently published report on the... [read complete entry]
May 12, 2009, 12:15 CET
Mixed results for Budapest tourism campaign
The "Budapest Winter Invitation" tourism promotion campaign has been deemed a success, as the number of guests in the city was up 5% year-on-year between November 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009, state tourism promotion agency Magyar Turizmus said. "Spend... [read complete entry]
March 24, 2009, 08:31 CET
Funzine magazines ink minibus distribution deal
Airport Minibus has signed a strategic agreement to distribute the publications of Funzine Media from March 1, Kreativ.hu reports.... [read complete entry]
March 20, 2009, 10:56 CET
Local web firm takes first prize in start-up competition
Hungarian internet company Joobili.com has won the prestigious Seedcamp's Central-Eastern Europe start-up competition title.... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2009, 02:24 CET
South African firms buys auction site TeszVesz; deal follows Vatera purchase
MIH Internet Europe, the online division of South African media company Naspers, has bought the online auction site TeszVesz from Finnish publishing giant Sanoma, the website of business daily Napi Gazdasag reported on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2009, 11:02 CET
Studio sees renewed foreign interest in film production in Hungary
Confidence towards Hungary is starting to return, as more and more foreign filmmakers show interest in producing films in Hungarian studios, Peter Hidvegi, head of the Stern Film Studio and Media Center told the business daily Napi Gazdasag on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2009, 12:33 CET
New York Times goes flat-hunting in Budapest, only overpays by 50%
It's been a pretty rough time as of late for those looking to unload high-end residential property in Budapest. But it may have just gotten slightly easier, thanks to a nice little feature last week in the New York Times... [read complete entry]
February 12, 2009, 11:33 CET
Media authority rejects TV networks' pleas for lower broadcast fees
Hungary's media authority ORTT has rejected a plea by the two main commercial television channels, RTL Klub and TV2 for a reduction in their concession fee, ORTT said in a statement on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
February 10, 2009, 09:51 CET
Budapest's Mammut mall hands out "mammoth" media contracts
The Mammut shopping mall in Budapest has rehired Media Vision and Globie International from among as many as 25 competing agencies to do its media planning and publish its new shopping magazine, kreativ.hu reports.... [read complete entry]
February 10, 2009, 09:48 CET
Hungary's biggest outdoor media group gets new owner
Epamedia, the Austria-based public space advertising company that runs nearly half of Hungary's street billboards, has a new owner: Medicur, a member of the Raiffeisen Group, Figyelőnet reports.... [read complete entry]
December 10, 2008, 10:32 CET
Local unit of Daily Mail group completes Ft 4 billion print publishing investment
Hungary's Lapcom, a member of the UK's Daily Mail group, has completed a HUF 4bn editorial office and printing press, Zoltan Koti, who heads the publisher of regional daily Delmagyarorszag, said before the inauguration of the new printing press in... [read complete entry]
December 04, 2008, 03:07 CET
Index.hu widens net to Hungarian countryside with regional portals
Leading news portal Index.hu launched a new and a renewed regional edition recently, reports Kreatív Online.... [read complete entry]
December 03, 2008, 09:59 CET
Duna Televizió launches first digital broadcasts in Hungary
Duna Tv became the first channel in Hungary to offer digital terrestrial television, broadcasting its too channels using the new technology from Monday afternoon at Budapest, Kabhegy and Szentes, writes Hírszerző.hu.... [read complete entry]
November 25, 2008, 11:06 CET
Hungary's leading daily to launch Sunday edition just in time for print to disappear
While newspaper companies in much of the world are retrenching in the face of the global slowdown and the migration of readers and advertising to the internet, the local unit of Swiss publishing giant Ringier is turning the conventional wisdom... [read complete entry]
November 25, 2008, 07:50 CET
Hungary's TV2 lays off 7% of staff, citing effects of financial crisis
TV2 is laying off 7% of its employees, most of whom are involved in creating content for the channel, writes Kreatív Online, based on Napi Gazdaság.... [read complete entry]
November 21, 2008, 10:55 CET
Hungarian state to privatize three film studios
The state asset manager MNV has called tenders for the privatization of three film studios, Objektív Filmstúdió Kft, Budapest Filmstúdió Kft and Hunnia Filmstúdió Kft, which are under 100% ownership by the state.... [read complete entry]
November 20, 2008, 02:34 CET
Veres Voted Fourth-Worst FinMin in Europe
In news that should be shocking no one, especially the seasoned observers who've been watching for years, Hungarian Finance Minister János Veres (left) was declared the fourth-worst person to serve in that post across Europe by the Financial Times, index.hu... [read complete entry]
November 19, 2008, 12:12 CET
"Illegal" downloads continue to be legal in Hungary
Planned legislation against people downloading music and movies for personal use has been removed from the new media law passed on Monday, Index.hu reports, via state news wire MTI.... [read complete entry]
November 17, 2008, 02:51 CET
Hungarian Prime Minister's Office signs Ft 1.2 billion in PR deals
Despite the ongoing financial crisis, the Prime Minister's Office (MeH) has signed Ft 1.2 billion (roughly €4.5 million) worth of contracts with three media companies, writes Index.hu, based on a report in conservative daily Magyar Nemzet.... [read complete entry]
November 12, 2008, 01:06 CET
Auctioneers may have to lower estimate of Hungarian art market's health
With news on the economic crisis front continuing to come in fast and furious, what might have seemed impossibly or unlikely one week can seem either plausible or certain the next. Take, for example, this recent story on lifestyle portal... [read complete entry]
November 11, 2008, 05:23 CET
Hungarian online advertising market grows by 30% in first three quarters
Hungary's online advertising market grew by 30pc in Q1-Q3 2008, the internet site origo, a member of online advertising index MOHI reported on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
November 11, 2008, 01:37 CET
Sanoma planning new monthly general interest magazine
Leading media company Sanoma is working on launching a new monthly magazine called Piknik, reports Kreatív Online, although PR Manager Eszter Ivanics refused to either confirm or deny the news.... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2008, 02:47 CET
iWiW developer launches community lending site
A former developer and part-owner of leading Hungarian social networking site iWiW has launched a person-to-person lending website, reports Internet trends blog Webisztán.... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2008, 01:18 CET
Hungarian state newswire planning video, layoffs as revenue decline bites
Hungarian state news service MTI Zrt (MTI) is planning to offer video news feeds and to lay off employees as its revenue stream from traditional sources declines, company president Mátyás Vince said in a recent interview with Napi Gazdaság.... [read complete entry]
November 07, 2008, 12:21 CET
Magyar Turizmus "remixes" international posters for domestic tourism campaign
State-owned tourism promotion firm Magyar Turizmus Zrt (MT) has decided to "reuse" the same concept employed in its most recent international promotion for its upcoming domestic campaign, following an unsuccessful tender to find different ideas, reports Kreatív Online. The company... [read complete entry]
November 04, 2008, 12:59 CET
Hungarian portal employs cutting-edge technology to track employment cuts
With the Hungarian economy likely headed into a deep recession, firms around the country are already starting to trim their headcounts. But since companies are often not so eager to broadcast their miseries, it's a little difficult to keep track... [read complete entry]
October 21, 2008, 09:00 CET
Inforádió expanding its reach via new media
Inforádió, Hungary's first radio station dedicated solely to news, is carrying out preparations to be ready for digital broadcasting and to expand its online presence, managing director and editor-in-chief Márton Módos announced, according to a subscriber only piece at Napi.hu.... [read complete entry]
October 02, 2008, 08:22 CET
Discount movie weekend fills 400,000 cinema seats across Hungary
Some 400,000 viewers attended a cinema-promotion weekend in Hungary, where tickets were sold at discount prices to hundreds of films, including premiers and Hungarian films, PR officer Dorka Tamas told MTI on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
October 01, 2008, 10:12 CET
Comedy Central TV channel launches in Hungary
Comedy Central launches its Hungarian-language TV channel today. The station is targeting an audience aged between 18 and 39 and will initially reach 1.5 million households, broadcasting from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m, CEO of Comedy central Magyarország Levente B.... [read complete entry]
September 09, 2008, 11:18 CET
New telecom law only forbids spamming of private individuals
The Hungary's National Telecommunications Authority (Nemzeti Hírközlési Hatóság; NHH) currently must investigate spam complaints submitted by private individuals only, not companies, according to new laws effective as of September 1. The rules on advertisements which can be sent only with... [read complete entry]
September 03, 2008, 12:58 CET
Népszabadság to move out of District III headquarters
Népszabadság will announce a tender to sell its headquarters in Budapest's Third District because it is "a three-dimensional labyrinth" CEO Tibor Kovács said. The left-leaning daily only has a 19% stake in its present office building, thus negotiations with the... [read complete entry]
September 02, 2008, 04:03 CET
National Bank picks winner of Ft 450 million media tender
Media Insight has won a tender to be the National Bank of Hungary's media agent for two years with a bid of net HUF 450m, the latest issue of the Public Procurement Gazette reveals.... [read complete entry]
August 22, 2008, 07:47 CET
Magyar Telekom to launch major re-branding in September
Magyar Telekom will launch its new T-Home brand on September 8, replacing the brands T-Com, T-Online and T-Kábel, it was announced yesterday. The internet brand T-Online is to be renewed.... [read complete entry]
August 18, 2008, 12:17 CET
"Moziünnep" organizers looking for new sponsor after Nokia departs
Organizers of the discount movie event "Moziünnep" are looking for a new sponsor after mobile phone company Nokia recently decided not to continue supporting the festival, reports Napi.hu (subscriber only). The four-day event will be held for the fifth time... [read complete entry]
July 30, 2008, 08:31 CET
Broadband subscriptions jump 27% in year to June
The number of cable and land line broadband internet subscriptions in Hungary rose a sharp 27pc to 1.45m in the twelve months to the end of June, the National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) told MTI on Tuesday. There were 779,000 land... [read complete entry]
July 28, 2008, 09:27 CET
Survey finds Hungarian companies still weak on marketing
A survey by the Hungarian Marketing Association (MMSZ) reveals a continuing unwillingness or inability by domestic firms to focus on modern marketing systems and techniques, with only 40% of the companies polled having an independent marketing department, or saying that... [read complete entry]
July 24, 2008, 11:07 CET
Czech online retailer makes big push into Hungarian market
Kasa.cz, the leading Czech online retailer, opened its Hungarian web shop www.logik.hu this week. The site has generated Ft 1.7 million turnover since its launch, the highest among all Kasa’s regional units. Kasa aims to be among Hungary’s top three... [read complete entry]
July 17, 2008, 01:52 CET
IT media guru Sándor Mester joins Axel Springer
The Hungarian media professional shall now be offering his services to the German media group. [read complete entry]
July 15, 2008, 12:25 CET
Cable television stations fleeing Hungary
Television stations and the media authority point fingers at each other overy why increasing number of stations are based abroad. [read complete entry]
July 15, 2008, 10:00 CET
Hungary's 100 richest list creator speaks
Péter Szakonyi, the man behind the rich list, speaks on how the list is assembled and what he must do to keep it accurate. [read complete entry]
July 10, 2008, 11:51 CET
Will there be a Hollywood ending for Hungary's film production industry?
Starting tomorrow, cinemas across America will roll out Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the first major motion picture to be shot primarily at Korda Studios, the recently-completed movie-making complex in Etyek, just outside Budapest. If the film's opening weekend is... [read complete entry]
July 09, 2008, 08:57 CET
Vodafone Hungary launches ad service aimed at mobile users
The Hungarian unit of international mobile telecom giant Vodafone yesterday announced the launch of a system which will allow local subscribers to be targeted with text-based and other advertisements, reports napi.hu.... [read complete entry]
July 09, 2008, 08:12 CET
Broadband coverage continues to grow
The number of broadband internet subscriptions grew to 1.437 million in May from 1.124 million in the same month of last year, the communications authority NHH announced.... [read complete entry]
June 27, 2008, 08:34 CET
UK marketing communications program to be offered by Budapest college
The Budapest College of Communication and Business (BKF) this September will begin offering a marketing communications certificate program "franchised" from London's Middlesex University, reports inforadio.hu.... [read complete entry]
June 10, 2008, 11:28 CET
Many changes in store with new advertising law
The new advertising law passed yesterday will dramatically change the way Hungarians can receive information, and also restrict the advertisement of products that have been deemed harmful in some way. [read complete entry]
June 03, 2008, 01:09 CET
Rights group pushing telecoms on data privacy
The Hungarian pressure group Társaság a Szabadságjogokért (TASZ, Company for Freedom Rights) has turned to the country's Constitutional Court in hopes of voiding current law regulating how telephone and Internet companies handle their users' personal data, Magyar Nemzet reports. Ádám... [read complete entry]
April 18, 2008, 12:01 CET
More red ink for Hungary's struggling print media
Hungary's print media fell on more hard times in 2007 as copy sales again fell compared to the previous year. [read complete entry]
March 14, 2008, 12:23 CET
Inforádió one more piece in growing Hungarian media empire
The popular radio news broadcaster InfoRádió was snapped up by the parent company of Index.hu and Portfolio.hu. [read complete entry]
March 11, 2008, 01:07 CET
Noguchi Porter Novelli wins Mavir communications contract
Noguchi Porter Novelli has won a communications tender with national grid operator Mavir Zrt. [read complete entry]
March 07, 2008, 11:21 CET
Goverment earmarks Ft 1.25 billion to promote citizen ownership program
The government has allocated some Ft 1.25 billion (€5 million) to media campaigns to promote its "New Ownership Program" aimed at encouraging Hungarians to buy shares in state-controlled firms. [read complete entry]
February 26, 2008, 10:25 CET
New national asset management company issues tender for communications services
The new Hungarian National Asset Management company has issued several tenders for a communications services. [read complete entry]
February 18, 2008, 10:50 CET
Toothpaste advertising dispute costs Colgate Hungary €1 million
The local unit of multinational consumer products giant Colgate-Palmolive has been hit with a fine of nearly €1 million for toothpaste commercials the Hungarian authorities dubbed misleading. [read complete entry]
February 15, 2008, 10:32 CET
Clear Channel-Outdoor wins Ferihegy advertising contract
A consortium led by U.S. advertising giant Clear Channel has won a contract to sell the advertising surfaces of Ferihegy Airport. [read complete entry]
February 12, 2008, 11:52 CET
Austro-Hungarian media alliance seeks EU support
A new alliance of Austrian and Hungarian media companies is looking to the EU for support to finance cooperation. [read complete entry]
February 06, 2008, 11:15 CET
NGOs turn to illegal spam to solicit for income tax donations
Running on low budgets and desperate for hand-outs, non-governmental organizations have been increasingly resorting to unsolicited e-mails to persuade taxpayers to give away 1% of their income tax as a donation, Menezsdment Fórum reports.... [read complete entry]
February 04, 2008, 09:31 CET
Portal sues Budapest for release of Metro 4 data
Online media group Index Zrt is suing the city of Budapest to force the release of a study commissioned to determine the ultimate costs to the municipality of the controversial Metro 4 project. According to the suit, the study by... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2008, 11:42 CET
Hungarian government to launch pro-reform ad campaign
The Hungarian government will spend €3 million on an advertising campaign to promote its reform plans, ahead of a referendum that could spell doom for key reforms in health care and education. [read complete entry]
January 29, 2008, 10:48 CET
Hungarian films bomb at box office in 2007
Despite growing public subsidies for filmmaking in Hungary, the number of tickets sold in the country for domestically-produced movies dropped by roughly 30% in 2007, while the total box office "take" for such films plunged by as much as 50%.... [read complete entry]
January 11, 2008, 12:00 CET
Massive changes in store for Hungarian online advertising market
The Hungarian online advertising market, while experiencing continued growth, is set to undergo changes as traditional advertising methods give way to newer means of reaching target audiences. [read complete entry]
January 08, 2008, 09:37 CET
Grey and Kirowski tasked with Magyar Telekom online marketing
Grey and Kirowski have signed online advertising and marketing contracts for Magyar Telekom's family of brands. [read complete entry]
December 18, 2007, 08:51 CET
Hungarian consumer protection authority finds film PR stunt illegal
The National Consumer Protection Authority ruled that a film promotional campaign that involved planting false news about the "discovery" of non-existent archaeological findings was illegal. [read complete entry]
December 11, 2007, 11:49 CET
Media Markt fined Ft 100 million for "stupid" ad
Leading consumer electronics retailer Media Markt Saturn Holding Magyarország Kft has been slapped with a fine of Ft 100 million (roughly €400,000) by the national consumer protection authority (NFH) for an advertising campaign that poked fun at the intelligence of... [read complete entry]
November 28, 2007, 02:11 CET
Organizer of "Sziget" festival bought by media firm
The operator of Hungary's largest music and pop-culture festival - the Sziget ("Island") - has been purchased by listed media firm Econet. The deal is worth a total of nearly Ft 5 billion (€19.6 million), and will take place in... [read complete entry]
November 22, 2007, 10:33 CET
Hungarian competition office fines Magyar Posta, Lapker
Hungary's Competition Office fined state-owned Magyar Posta and a private periodical distributor, charging that the two had engineered a cartel. [read complete entry]