Inauspicious Beginning For Hungarian News Channel M1

  • 17 Mar 2015 8:00 AM
Inauspicious Beginning For Hungarian News Channel M1
New state news channel M1 produced disastrous ratings on Sunday, according to Nielsen Express figures made public by ATV. The data show that ATV had more viewers among adult TV subscribers than M1 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday evening.

While earlier more than 300,000 viewers saw the state TV newscast at 7.30 p.m., this Sunday only 230,000 watched it.

The new channel experienced numerous technical and other difficulties that led to it being blacked out for periods of time on Sunday.

Replying to reporters yesterday, Fidesz caucus leader Antal Rogán said “I do not intend to evaluate the programming of any television company.”

MTVA chief Zsolt László Szabó played down the errors as typical first day problems.

He said there are no expectations as to the number of viewers, but if chaos continues on the channel, it could cost him his job.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

This news item is one of many published daily by HATC, a premier subscription news service which distributes English-language info about Hungary via email or fax. For a free trial of HATC follow this link and click on 'Free Trial Subscription'.

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MTI photo: Honéczy Barnabás

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