Hungary's public media halt broadcasts, apologise for 'lying' during Orbán era

Broadcast halt and apology

On Tuesday afternoon, Hungary's main public television channel M1 and Kossuth radio abruptly halted their news output. Viewers of M1 saw a black screen with a message: "Public media should not lie. We are sorry for doing it for so long." The text added that public media were being reformed to become independent and trustworthy, and that the news service was temporarily suspended. Kossuth radio's frequencies instead carried Bartók Radio, a classical music programme, while the websites of both outlets went offline.

A historic day. Today marks the end of propaganda broadcasts on public media platforms. They lied at night, they lied during the day, they lied on every wavelength. That is now over.

Resumption without news

State media umbrella MTVA said M1 would resume broadcasting in the evening at 19:56, a time chosen to reference the 1956 Hungarian uprising, but without news bulletins. Other public service programmes were unaffected. News output will be reintroduced gradually as a new editorial leadership is put in place, MTVA added.

Magyar's media overhaul

Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party won a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April, had campaigned on a promise of "regime change" and a clean break with Orbán's 16-year rule. Restoring media independence was a central pledge. Shortly before the broadcast halt, his government replaced the management of MTVA and its subordinate outlets. Magyar later said on Facebook that the day marked the end of propaganda, accusing the previous regime of lying "on every wavelength."

Orbán's legacy and reaction

Under Viktor Orbán, public media were transformed into government mouthpieces, with news programmes offering one-sided praise for the ruling Fidesz party. Critics described the outlets as propaganda tools. Orbán responded to the suspension by calling it "another example of Tisza tyranny" and urged viewers "interested in the truth" to watch the private Hír TV channel, which is linked to his party.

Another example of Tisza tyranny!

Press freedom context

Hungary's media landscape deteriorated sharply during Orbán's tenure. According to Reporters Without Borders, the country fell from 23rd place in the World Press Freedom Index in 2010 to 74th in 2026. Analysts caution that rebuilding public trust and ensuring genuine editorial independence will require not only new management but also structural guarantees on funding and autonomy.

Broader media shake-up

The government has also targeted private outlets owned by Orbán-allied business figures. At TV2, one of Hungary's top commercial broadcasters, main news anchors were replaced and the news director was pushed out following Magyar's election victory. The moves signal a sweeping effort to dismantle the media ecosystem built over 16 years of Fidesz rule.