08.07.2026 15:50
Under the media reform initiated by Hungary's new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the news broadcasts of state television M1 have been temporarily suspended. A message displayed on the channel's screen drew attention: "Public media cannot lie. We apologize for doing so for many years." While the government stated that public broadcasting would be made independent and reliable, it was announced that news bulletins are suspended until they are restructured.
After the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in Hungary, a historic step was taken in public broadcasting.
Under the media reform of new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the news broadcasts of state television M1 and Kossuth Radio were temporarily suspended. A striking message was displayed on M1 screens on a black background: "Public media should not lie. We apologize for having done so for many years." The channel announced that news bulletins would be suspended until they are restructured in line with public broadcasting principles.
"PROPAGANDA BROADCASTS ARE OVER"
Prime Minister Péter Magyar also stated in a post on his social media account, "Today is a historic day. Propaganda broadcasts in public media have come to an end. They lied at night, they lied during the day, they lied on every frequency. This is over now." Magyar said that public media would be restructured to become independent and reliable.
NEWS STOPPED, OTHER BROADCASTS CONTINUED
State media organization MTVA announced that M1 had stopped its news broadcasts but would continue other public service programs. On Kossuth Radio, classical music was played instead of news. As part of the reform, changes were also made to the management of public broadcasting.