Hungary suspends public news broadcasts, apologises for 'years of lies' in media overhaul

Broadcast interruption

On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, at 16:00, viewers of Hungary's main public news channel M1 saw their regular programming replaced by a black screen with a message. The text read: "Public media cannot lie. We apologize for doing so for years. Public media is undergoing reorganization to become independent and credible in the future. The news service is temporarily suspended. Please be patient." The same message appeared on the public broadcaster's news website hirado.hu, while public radio Kossuth switched to playing only music.

New leadership takes over

The suspension coincided with the arrival of the newly appointed temporary president of MTVA, the holding company that oversees Hungarian public media. Andras Horvath entered the broadcaster's headquarters on Tuesday with his chosen management team. According to media reports, several employees, including those in managerial positions, were summoned to the HR department and immediately suspended from their duties. Among those reportedly dismissed were Zsolt Németh, director of channel M1, and Zsolt Mezei, deputy director for content, though MTVA did not officially confirm the departures.

Reform mandate

The temporary leadership has been tasked with a comprehensive review of public media operations, ending propaganda activities, and reforming news services. The goal, as reported by the portal Telex, is to transform Hungarian public media into a "credible, objective and independent institution." An MTVA statement said the interim management will oversee a transition period, after which permanent leadership will be selected through open recruitment, preceded by expert and public consultations. New appointments include Zsófia Mészáros for the online division, Balázs Bodacz for news, and György Kerényi as head of Kossuth radio.

Political shift

The media overhaul follows the April 2026 parliamentary elections, in which the TISZA party led by Péter Magyar won 53.06% of the vote and 138 seats, securing a constitutional majority and ending 16 years of Fidesz rule under Viktor Orbán. Magyar had made media reform a central campaign promise, vowing to create a "truly balanced and objective" public information system. On Tuesday, he posted on X:

Historic day. Today the propaganda broadcast on Hungarian public media has finally come to an end. They lied at night. They lied during the day. They lied on every channel. This is the end.

Press freedom legacy

Under Orbán, public media came under increasing government control, and some private outlets were closed or taken over by allies of the ruling party. Hungary's press freedom ranking by Reporters Without Borders fell from 23rd in 2010 to 74th in 2026. Experts note that rebuilding trust in state media will be a long process.