ATV (formerly known as Magyar ATV) is the first Hungarian private

TV channel A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...

broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

continuously since 1989, with a focus on news, public life, and current events. Licensed as a partially public service commercial television station, it is obliged to broadcast

public interest The public interest is "the welfare or well-being of the general public" and society. Overview Economist Lok Sang Ho in his ''Public Policy and the Public Interest'' argues that the public interest must be assessed impartially and, therefor ...

programs (

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to event ...

current affairs Current affairs may refer to: News * ''Current Affairs'' (magazine) a bimonthly magazine of culture and politics. * Current affairs (news format): a genre of broadcast journalism * Current Affairs, former name for Behind the News Politics * An ...

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

) 50% of the time. Because of this special status, the channel is eligible to apply for grants from the government and the radio and television authority. As of 2003 the owner of the channel is the Hungarian Faith Church. It is the first private TV channel in Hungary, being established in late 1989 and airing ever since.

Current programs

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(with Hungarian dubbing) * A nap híre (''The News of Day'') - political investigation program * ATV Híradó (''ATV News'') * ATV Start -

breakfast television Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...

program * Az atv.hu bemutatja (atv.hu presents) * CSATT (''BANG'') - political discussion * Csisztu 24 - * Egyenes beszéd (''Straight Talk'') * Esti Frizbi (''Evening Frisbee'') - talkshow with Péter Hajdú * Havas a pályán (''Havas on the track'') - political discussion and opinion program with journalist Henrik Havas * Kipa (Kippah) - program about life of

Jews in Hungary The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...

and about

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Logos

File:ATV first logo.svg, 1999–2004 File:ATV logo.svg, 2006–2011 File:ATV new logo.svg, 2011–2018

Editorial stance and criticism

Although the station is owned by the Hungarian Faith Church, the station is politically and editorially independent. The channel is one of a small number of broadcasters and media outlets which have been openly critical of the Fidesz-KDNP government. Members of such government and media outlets which favour the coalition have criticized its non-government-friendly programs and left-wing or liberal presenters. On recent years, the station has increased its informational and political programming, whilst maintaining a public interest format; as a result, the owners of ATV launched an additional television station, ''ATV Spirit'', available exclusively thru pay-TV services, which airs more entertainment programming, including old American television series, as well as more religious programming, specially, from the Faith Church. This editorial stance has caused some outcry, mainly due to the Faith Church's fundamentalist ideas and ATV's left-wing orientations, an issue which has caused a conflict of interests. Although the station retains its critical stance, the station has reduced some of its analytical programming due to pressure from management at the Faith Church, which has increased its association with the Fidesz-KDNP government in recent years; as a result, many presenters have departed to other opposition media outlets. The station, as part of its transition into an informational TV channel, signed an exclusive deal with

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to broadcast some of its programming on its schedule, including a daily edition of

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; a similar deal was also signed with Deutsche Welle. Such programming is broadcast with Hungarian translation.

References

Television networks in Hungary Television channels and stations established in 1989 1989 establishments in Hungary Mass media in Budapest {{Europe-tv-station-stub