Hungarian State TV Resumes News After Break

Hungarian public broadcaster M1 and radio station Kossuth Radio resumed news broadcasts on Thursday, 20 August, after a hiatus that began on 7 July, according to Telex.

The first report in the resumed Hirado program covered the inauguration of President Andras Baka, with representatives of the opposition parties Fidesz and Mi Hazank, as well as government critics, also given a platform to express their views.

The suspension of broadcasts by the two channels, which were close to former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, came at the initiative of Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who won the election in April. Magyar described the return of news programming as the final chapter in the era of propaganda broadcasting in public media.

During the more than one-month hiatus, a message of apology appeared on M1's black screen, promising a transformation into an independent media outlet. Meanwhile, the Kossuth Radio frequencies aired the classical music program Bartok Radio.

After resuming broadcasts, Hirado also covered the candidates for the Independent Council for Public Service Media, highlighting reservations and criticism from professional organizations regarding the selection process.

(max)