Hungary - Digital Television and Radio Tender to be Announced with Delay

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
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The National Communications Authority of Hungary (NCAH) is unable to issue the invitations to the tenders for the operating rights of the one digital radio and five digital television free-to-air broadcasting networks by the original deadline, as the competent parliamentary committee failed to grant it the necessary approvals, the NCAH announced on Tuesday.

According to the Act on Broadcasting and the digital switchover (hereinafter: “Dtv.”), the NCAH was supposed to issue the tenders by 31 October 2007.

According to the Dtv. the bidding procedure is to be supervised by an ad-hoc committee set up by Parliament. The NCAH and the ad-hoc committee have been working closely together in compliance with the rules and deadlines set out in the Dtv. and will continue to do so in preparing the tendering documentation.

Incorporating the comments received during the public consultation in September, the NCAH finalised the tendering documentation in early September, the committee, however, has not granted its approval for the publication thereof.