Record turnout, major announcements, the return of Hungary’s public broadcaster and three news executives at one table – this was Big Picture 2027!
What will viewers be watching in 2027? Where can advertisers reach them, and what makes an ad worth their attention? These were among the questions that brought Hungary’s television industry together at the RAM Theatre on 5 November. Big Picture 2027, the annual conference of the Association of Hungarian Electronic Broadcasters (MEME), drew a record audience for the broadcasters’ programming announcements, two keynotes, new research findings and three roundtable discussions. One of the day’s highlights was the return of Hungary’s public broadcaster to the Big Picture stage after several years away.
Dr Csaba Tóth, President of MEME, opened the conference. Gábor Gundel Takács returned as host, guiding the audience through the day with his trademark wit and poise.
It was a great honour to welcome Dr Gábor Polyák, the newly elected President of Hungary’s National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), to deliver the opening keynote. He explored one of the most pressing questions facing Hungarian television. How can domestic production remain viable as more players compete for viewers’ attention and advertising revenue? Industry professionals heard directly from the regulator about the options open to programme makers and broadcasters, and the role regulation could play.
The Big Picture audience was the first to hear the Media Council’s position on the proposed return of the advertising tax, directly from Dr Polyák. He announced that the Council did not support reintroducing the tax in 2027. According to Dr Polyák, the authority submitted the Council’s position to the Hungarian Parliament that same day.
Hungary’s public broadcaster made a memorable return to Big Picture. Its Director of Programming, Ádám Szeleczky, shared details that were new even to an audience of television professionals. In his talk, Irreality on the Edge of Town – The First 120 Days of Free Public Media, he revisited events that most people in the room had followed from the outside. This time, they heard the story from someone who had seen the new public broadcaster take shape from within. His personal account and the rare glimpse behind the scenes made this one of the standout moments of Big Picture 2027.
International guest speaker Samira Brophy, an advertising effectiveness expert at Ipsos UK, was a huge hit with the audience. In The Odyssey of Modern Media, she brought energy and a generous dose of humour to the question of what makes an advertising campaign work.
The audience also got a first look at the 2027 television line-up, with presentations from Skydance, TV2 Group, BBC Studios, Antenna Entertainment, Hearst Networks, Network4, RTL Hungary, AMC Global Media Central Europe and ATV Group.
Advertisers, agencies and television advertising sales houses came together for two roundtables moderated by Zoltán Barnóth. The Price of Ratings explored how advertisers divide their budgets among the screens competing for viewers’ attention. In Cooperation or Fragmentation?, panellists discussed where closer cooperation could benefit the Hungarian television market. Miklós Virágh brought viewers’ perspectives into the discussion with findings from Fifty5blue’s study, The Price of Attention.
RTL Saleshouse and AtMedia presented their outlook for the advertising market in 2027.
The day ended with a rare opportunity to hear from three leading editorial figures in Hungarian current affairs television at the same table. Moderated by Antónia Mészáros, Beyond the Race for Ratings – What Do Current Affairs Programmes Offer? brought together Balázs Bodacz, News Director at Hungary’s public broadcaster, Ádám Magyar, Editor-in-Chief of HírTV’s current affairs programme Hírháttér, and Péter Berecz, Senior Programming Adviser at ATV. The audience heard how each of them judges a programme’s impact, what viewers’ trust means to them and how they see their own editorial responsibilities.
Our thanks go to our speakers, our principal sponsors Toyota and Shell, and, last but certainly not least, our record Big Picture audience for making this such a memorable day. See you next year at Big Picture 2028!
