Both major Hungarian channels are suspended for 12 hours
After the National Radio and Televison Comission (ORTT) http://ortt.hu/ two weeks ago suspended the broadcasting of one major Hungarian commercial TV channel RTL Klub http://rtlklub.hu/ for 12 hours, it sentenced today the same punishment for the other big commercial channel TV2 http://tv2.hu/.
The reason is the same: recurring violating the rating system on afternoon talk shows. Both the channels are against the decisions and appeal against them. They would chose to pay fine, which is, according to the new, not yet effective, but signed contract between the RTL Klub and the ORTT (TV2 switched to it in 2003) can be maximum HUF 5.4 million (Eur 19.400). The suspensions though cause loss of up to HUF 30 million (EUR 107 600) in the off-season. According to the channels the ORTT should only punish by the fine, but according to the Comission it has the right to decide between the punishments.