Dr. Gyorgy Bela Mohay of Budapest, Hungary

 

The US State Department asked me, as Director of PTC in Minnesota, to meet with Dr. Gyorgy Bela Mohay, a judge for the Capital Court of Administration Law in Budapest (Hungary) during his visit to Minnesota. During our talk we found a lot of common ground as I got a rare look at media through the eyes of a foreign national.

 

Hungary’s Civil and Public Administration oversees the nations political, economic and civil affairs. When violations occur through the use of the media, stations are told not to repeat them. If they do repeat, a $10,000 fine is given. If they continue, they are “forbidden” to air for a designated period of time (from minutes to months). During that time, a blank screen appears with a printed message indicating a “monitoring entity,” not technological difficulties.  When a station returns to the air, but continues the violations, their license is revoked.

 

In comparison, since 1934, America’s independent agency, the Federal Communications Commission, regulates the airwaves of state and international communications (radio, television, wire, satellite and cable) through fines. The President appoints five commissioners for five-year terms; they report to the Congress. Never has a license been revoked. Though not spoken, we agreed, “Where’s the logic?”  If a “commission” is “federal,” surely it holds all the power to set things right - and would. The liberal media meets a new challenged when, on June 7, 2006, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act raised the penalty for broadcasting indecent material from $32,500 to $325,000  -- per incident.

 

Even when good laws are in place, parts of the society slip outside wholesome boundaries. I didn’t need to tell Dr. Mohay this, but stating the fact created a solidarity between us.  A parent is like a judge.  Most parents look at the as the future “household” of their children, and strive to teach them at home when and why a high standard is worthy.

 

When Hungry left socialism behind 17 years ago, Dr. Mohay said their airwaves “got corrupt -- quickly.”  As a judge, he seeks provable truth on which to base decisions. He envied the resources available through the PTC.  Our records and research give credibility to claims made by parents when confronting the sponsors, networks, producers and the legislature.

 

He was very interested in what role the FCC does or could have in censoring programs prior to 10:00 P.M. programs.   He commented that the V-chip is similar to a method Hungary uses to identify programs in a grading system.

 

In Hungary it is uncommon for kids to spend long hours in front of a television, but that will become a new challenge as the pace of technology and broadcasting competition surges.  At the end of our meeting, Dr. Mohay was definite about initiating a parent’s council in Hungary, and most interested in America’a medical studies of harmful effects television has on children.  

 

We agreed that while freedom opens doors it doesn’t necessarily make for better outcomes. I again stressed the importance of parents being involved when deciding what is most important for their children, that perhaps a revolution is in order, to give parents a voice.  The word “revolution” startled him and he reacted; I insisted that I didn’t mean the word to hold that much power, but instead, “Changes ought to equal the importance of the need for good.”  We were able to quickly agree.

 

When there is a tug of war among commerce, parents and public officials, which group finalizes protection for children? Hungary’s standard is to “be responsive to the opportunities for growth opened up by new technologies, while at the same time taking into account the specific nature, in particular the cultural and sociological impact, of audiovisual programs, whatever their mode of transmission” (taken from their legal statutes). Likely easier said than done.

 

Who can resist learning something from an exciting moment like this, talking and sharing with a judge from Hungary! We ended with the bare truth about the importance of the intent behind action regarding the airwaves, and how parents and “national” leaders might desire the same order. However, in a free nation, both are subject to what people want and are willing to do, and that requires monitoring.  In our time together, we agreed that the human creature is the same everywhere, no matter how they strive to be good or advance -- or rebel. 

 

Dr. Mohay came to America, knowing there are no easy answers.  Unfortunately, he surely left realizing that America has a lot of the same problems as Hungary. Despite a longer history of dealing with the same issues, the United States is not ready to act as a role model for the still maturing Hungarian society.

 

Dr. Mohay intends to create an organization like Parents Television Council, to involve parents.