The Hungarian parliament has amended the country’s controversial new media law in order to address criticisms it does not meet European requirements.
BBJ reports that while the EU is satisfied with these changes, concerns have been expressed by a numbers of parties, including the civil rights organisation TASz, that they still do not go far enough.
The TASz cites the example of linear media services, which will be now obliged to broadcast “balanced coverage” defined by an act of parliament.
In its view, this will increase the state’s interference in the media still further.
The amendments agreed to by the Hungarian parliament are nevertheless far-reaching, lifting, for instance, a requirement for on-demand services to offer balanced information and allowing such services to operate without prior authorisation.
