Hungary's main public television channel, M1, and state-run Kossuth radio have temporarily halted news broadcasts as part of a reform initiative by the new government. The move is intended to establish independent and trustworthy public media, ending what Prime Minister Péter Magyar described as "propaganda broadcasts."
On Tuesday afternoon, M1 displayed a message stating, "Public media should not lie. We are sorry for doing it for so long." The message further announced, "Public media now will be reformed so it will be independent and trustworthy. Our news programme is currently suspended. Stay tuned!" Kossuth radio's frequencies were replaced with broadcasts from the classical music station Bartok Radio. The websites for both M1 and Kossuth were also reported as down.
A statement from MTVA, the entity that operates M1, indicated that the channel would restart in a new format without news programs, with bulletins to be gradually reintroduced alongside a new editorial team. Prime Minister Magyar called the announcement a "historic day" and the "end of propaganda broadcasts on public media platforms."