In brief
After Viktor Orbán left power, Prime Minister Péter Magyar ordered the main public TV channel M1 and radio Kossuth to suspend news broadcasts. Both stations displayed a black screen with an apology for lying “for years” and a pledge to reform. The move is framed as an end to propaganda, with plans to reintroduce bulletins beside a new editorial team. Critics warn the shift may silence dissent. The change follows months of tension over media control between the former and new administrations.
Following Viktor Orbán’s departure after 16 years, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Tuesday that the nation’s main public TV channel M1 and the radio station Kossuth will suspend news broadcasts to renew state media. Both stations displayed a black screen with a white message apologising for lying 'for years' and pledging to become independent and trustworthy.
"Public media should not lie. We are sorry for doing it for so long," the message read. The message added, "Public media now will be reformed so it will be independent and trustworthy. Our news programme is currently suspended. Stay tuned!" The TV channel will return with a new editorial team and bulletins gradually reintroduced, while Kossuth was temporarily replaced by Bartok Radio, a classical music outlet.
"They lied at night, they lied during the day, they lied on every wavelength. That is now over," Magyar called the move a historic day, marking the end of propaganda broadcasts on public media platforms. He vowed a new broadcast authority would ensure press freedom, a promise made after a massive electoral victory that saw him split from Orbán’s party in March 2024.
"The move was another example of Tisza tyranny," Orbán said on Facebook, urging followers to watch his affiliated Hir TV channel instead. He described how former state media had been requisitioned by Orbán allies, preventing him from appearing on national TV since September 2024. Magyar’s assurances have been challenged by critics who argue the suspension could further silence dissenting voices.
