RTL: Ad Tax Spells End Of Press Freedom In Hungary

Berlin, June 6 (MTI) – The planned introduction of a tax on adverts spells the end of press freedom in Hungary, a senior official of the RTL Group told Friday’s German daily Handelsblatt.

“From the time that the tax is bulldozed through, there won’t be any press freedom left in Hungary,” Andreas Rudas, the group’s head of eastern and south-eastern European operations told the paper.

“It is an attempt to restrict press freedom without dictatorial measures,” he added.

He insisted that the tax “clearly targets RTL”, which owns Hungary’s commercial RTL Klub channel.

The RTL Group does not want to dodge the conflicts ahead and will not discard its interests in Hungary, Rudas said, adding that “we have no intention of leaving Hungary.”

Fidesz group leader Antal Rogan said on Wednesday that parliament would discuss the bill on introducing a tax on advertising next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Photo: www.rtl.de

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters