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Hungary Closes Regional Public Service Stations
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The Media Services and Support Trust
Fund (MTVA), a cooperation between Hungary’s four public media
services — Magyar
Rádió, Magyar
Televízió, Duna
Televízió, and Magyar
Távirati Iroda news agency, will
close all five of its regional radio studios, which make up the Régió Rádió
network, on Dec. 21.
The studios will be leased out, and
staff will either be made redundant or employed as correspondents for
Kossuth Rádió, the national public talk and news station.
According to István Böröcz, MTVA
CEO, the Régió Rádió network experienced a waning audience due to increasing competition
from other local private stations.
“There was only slight interest in
these programs because the need for a general theme radio station is fulfilled
by the various other local stations,” said Böröcz. “In addition, in Hungary,
there is no regional identity, and local identity, which stops at the county
borders, is mostly limited to the place of residence, hence there was no
justification in keeping the regional public service radio broadcasts
operational.”
The soon-to-be-available FM and AM
frequencies will be used for broadcasting a new nationwide public service magyarnóta
(popular Hungarian song or urban folk music) and operetta music station, “Dankó
Rádió,” from Dec. 22.
— Henrik Hargitai
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