Duna TV went on the air in December 1992 as the first Hungarian TV station to broadcast over satellite. Its mission is to create and broadcast programming for and news about Hungarian minority communities beyond Hungary's borders in order to help maintain their national/ethnic identity. A few years later, Duna TV became the first Hungarian station to broadcast 24 hours a day. In 2004, Duna TV began to broadcast in North America, South America and Australia. In 2006, Duna TV started its Channel II. Duna TV had been originally funded from a television licence fee imposed on owners of television sets. However, in July 2002, the government abolished the fee and began to partially fund the broadcaster through direct payments, with additional funding coming from advertising and commercial activities. In 2010, after Magyar Televízió withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest that year due to financial reasons, Duna TV attempted to move from an approved participant to an active member of the European Broadcasting Union in order to continue Hungary's participation in the event. While a decision ultimately was not made in time for Duna TV to participate, Duna TV did air the 2010 contest. Magyar Televízió returned for the 2011 contest. In 2011, most of the assets and employees of Duna TV were made a part of the newly created Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund, a government organization controlled by the Media Council of Hungary. Magyar Televízió and Magyar Rádió were also made a part of MTVA, unifying all three public service broadcasters in Hungary for the first time. Additionally, the Hungarian news agency Magyar Távirati Iroda was merged into the MTVA and has since been responsible for the production of all news content aired on the three broadcasting organizations. Duna TV's membership in the European Broadcasting Union was elevated from approved participant to active status in 2014 following the establishment of an agreement between the EBU, Hungarian public service broadcasters, and MTVA that enabled the EBU to treat Duna TV, Magyar Televízió, and Magyar Rádió as a single unit for membership purposes. As part of its overhaul revamp for all of its MTVA channels in 2015, Duna began broadcasting all of its entertainment and current affairs content from M1, starting with the Eurovision Song Contest, but they retain its original structure as they continue to serve the Hungarian minorities. Another consequence of the 2015 MTVA revamp of public media services in Hungary saw Duna TV merged with Magyar Televízió, Magyar Rádió, and Magyar Távirati Iroda to create a single organization called Duna Media Service. This nonprofit organization is the legal successor to each of the four formerly separate entities managed by the MTVA.
