Hungarian public media platforms have suspended their broadcasts, an event described as a 'historic day.' This change was announced by Magyar on social media after he won the April elections, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year mandate.
Statement and closure of media outlets
Magyar stated in his post that 'They lied at night, they lied during the day, they lied on all channels. It is over.' Specifically, the M1 channel and Kossuth radio interrupted their operations. The M1 television channel displayed a black screen with the message: 'Public media cannot lie. We apologize for having done so for many years. Public press is transforming to be independent and reliable in the future. The news service is temporarily suspended. Stay with us.'
Status of digital platforms
The online pages of these same outlets also showed a dark screen, while Kossuth radio broadcasted the programming of the Bartók music station. According to a press release from the MTVA group, which manages the various channels, M1 programs will resume in the evening, but without including news bulletins.
Promises and political context
Four days after the April 12th election victory, Péter Magyar had promised in a channel interview that he would 'immediately suspend the operation of fake news' on M1, which was his first interview in 18 months. According to the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), about 80% of the press was controlled by the ultra-conservative Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for 16 consecutive years, or by businessmen linked to the government. This decision regarding public bodies represents an advance in the dismantling of the Orbán system, as promised by the conservative Magyar during the legislative elections.