Busy Budapest / Hungary

Michael Hedges October 13, 2005

Budapest is busy. The buzz is all about the film industry, although skeptical. A major sound stage development has been announced, with Hollywood backing. The Hungarian film industry says more major productions want to come here but there's a lack of capacity. With so many "big ideas" announced in the last decade, Hungarians have adopted a "wait and see" attitude toward plans trumpeted about Budapest becoming the European Hollywood.

The broadcast sector is waiting, like colleagues in so many of the 10 new Member States, on revisions in the media law. The process is stuck in the Hungarian Parliament, which is stalling because of the coming elections. Migration to digital is one of several issues looming large. Enforcement of employment law also will affect the media sector as taxation issues have forced employers and employees into free-lance and contract labor arrangements.

Antenna Hungaria, the major broadcast systems supplier, is entering the new world of privatization with the purchase by SwissCom. Insiders are generally pleased, "it could have been somebody much worse," but scrambling to know exactly what SwissCom will do. Those plans are expected in January.

Editors note: Michael Hedges traveled through the new EU Member States, September 2005 through February 2006, surveying the audiovisual sector for European Commission Social Dialogue committee. The reports for ftm are his own observations and do not reflect the positions of the European Commission or any of the members of the Social Dialogue committee.

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