Hungarian state television apologized for spreading falsehoods during Orbán's tenure

Broadcasting on the Hungarian state television channel M1 was suspended, and a message appeared on the screen apologizing to the public for years of lies. 

A message on a black screen states that media outlets serving the public have no right to spread misinformation. A reform of the media holding company is currently underway to restore its independence and objectivity, which is why news broadcasts have been temporarily suspended. 

M1 has since promised to resume broadcasting in a modified format—it will air films, but news programs will be completely removed until the new journalism department is fully established. Similar changes have affected other outlets as well: the Hirado.hu website has gone offline with the same explanatory message, and the state-run Kossuth Radio, where Viktor Orbán typically delivered his Friday addresses, now broadcasts only music. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar called this event a historic end to the activities of propaganda platforms that had been distorting information around the clock.

The state-owned media holding company MTVA was established by Viktor Orbán’s government in 2011 and brought together eight television channels, seven radio stations, online portals, and the MTI news agency under a single management structure. Despite professing independence, the organization was funded with massive amounts from the state budget and effectively served as the official mouthpiece of the ruling government.

Source: Telex.

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