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ftm Radio Page - February 21, 2014

Broadcasters Talk About Talking
ah, the table There is a theory among professional mediators that negotiations precede only when all parties visualize failure as unacceptable. Time, then, becomes an object bigger than the table or anything on it. But time, like money, is never in abundant supply. And nobody wants to run out of either.

 

 

News station to claim compensation for regulator damages
“heavy political interference”

Four years battling authorities over licensing has come at considerable cost for Budapest news-talk radio station Klub Radio. Owner/manager András Arató is considering asking for compensation from the Hungarian Media Council (Médiatanács), reported Világgazdaság (February 19). Last week the Klub Radio FM frequency was switched, reducing the station’s coverage.

Klub Radio drew considerable international attention after losing its license in a dodgy renewal process, complicated by the government retroactively changing application rules, followed by a successful court appeal and then a license renewal decision moving the station to an FM frequency with diminished coverage. Mr. Arató claims “heavy political interference” and many international media watchers agreed that the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban was stifling dissenting media. (See more on media in Hungary here)

Klub Radio has been allowed to operate for the last year under two month license renewals from the media authority, which, according to Mr. Arató, has diminished advertising revenues. The compensation claim for “material and moral damages” has not been officially filed nor an amount calculated. Mr. Orban’s Fidesz party is favored to maintain its commanding majority in April parliamentary elections, said Reuters (February 16).

Broadcaster receives more state aid, a new director
“not a business decision”

The shareholders council of leading Russian independent news-talk radio channel Ekho Moskvy dismissed general director Yuri Fedutinov with immediate effect and without comment, reports lenta.ru (February 18). Mr. Fedutinov had been with Ekho Moskvy for 22 years and is replaced by Ekaterina Pavlova, vice president for broadcasting at Radio Voice of Russia. Ekho Moskvy is majority owned by Gazprom Media (66%) with employees holding a minority stake (34%).

Gazprom Media is a subsidiary of Gazprombank, itself a subsidiary of State-owned energy company Gazprom. Last year Gazprom Media, already Russia’s largest media holding company, acquired the radio assets of ProfMedia and named Mikhail Lesin, once head of Russia’s Media Ministry. Media watchers inside and outside Russia viewed expansion at Gazprom Media and the rise of Mr. Lesin, credited for designing State-owned international TV channel Russia Today, as evidence of further government control over the media sector. (See more on media in Russia here)

”We see this as unfair and dishonest,” said Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov, quoted by RAI Novosti (February 18). “(Fedutinov) ensured prosperity for 22 years as general manager. We paid dividends. We were profitable. This is not a business decision but a political one.”

Mr. Venediktov, a founder of Ekho Moskvy; has long clashed with Russia’s rich and powerful and, notably, remains standing. “I’m not going to resign even with this unfair and unjust decision. As long as I sit in this chair the editorial policy will remain unchanged.”

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