An expensive business
Between 2010 and 2026, inflation in Hungary doubled prices for the ordinary citizen. Yet the budget for the Media Services and Support Trust Fund (MTVA), which oversees the state media, over the same period increased fivefold from 30 billion forints to 155 billion forints (83 million euros to 430 million euros). Propaganda, it seems, is expensive.
The multi-million-euro question now is how to turn Hungary’s state media back into public service media. Does the Hungarian audience really need and want to finance eight television stations and the same number of radio stations, including several music and sports channels? Or would they rather it were scaled back and rebuilt from scratch?
This is a very similar question to the one that the current Polish coalition faced when it came to office in 2023 after ousting the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) government.
The coalition led by Donald Tusk decided to dismiss the entire advisory and management boards of TVP, the state broadcaster. New journalists took over the main news programs, even as members of the old guard, backed by politicians from PiS, organised occupations at the headquarters of these institutions, with hundreds of protesters massing outside the buildings.
This is unlikely to happen in Hungary. It’s hard to imagine anyone who was clapping for Magyar organising occupations, just as it’s hard to imagine Hungarians protesting in support of the state media journalists they’ve had to listen to over the past 16 years.
Still, the Polish example may offer some lessons for Hungary. In 2023, the Polish government put the state TV, radio and news agency into insolvency and appointed liquidators to take over their day-to-day operations. State media were facing uncertainty even after a year into the rebuilding process, because the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), still influenced by PiS, refused to recognise the changes in TVP’s leadership and withheld public funds.
Magyar has previously mentioned suspending state media news services until their independence can be restored. Under the current media law, these services can be suspended for up to one week if there are repeated violations.
Rebuilding the system will undoubtedly take longer and be complicated, especially if not everyone is on board, as was the case in Poland. Expect some audience loss, which will be painful. However, a fresh start is essential – starting anew and building it from the ground up.
There’s no need to retain the old guard, not even from 15-20 years ago. I realise this approach is radical, but there should be a focus on young journalists. As Kalman Meszoly, a world-class football player, said in 1969 after a heavy defeat to Czechoslovakia, which meant the Hungarian national team did not qualify for the World Cup for the first time in its history: “Our time is up.”
So, give young journalists a chance. Train them and restore their faith in public service.
In 1997, the BBC started a series of media courses in Hungary. Three months of intensive training, 10 hours a day, were enough to bring groups of young journalists up to a decent standard in radio journalism. I know, I was one of them. After all, it’s not rocket science. I’d rather listen to young voices and watch fresh faces making mistakes than hearing the same old voices and seeing the same old faces again.
The Hungarian state media needs a fresh start so we can call it public service broadcasting again. If they let it be.
Gyula Csák is a Hungarian editor and journalist based in Prague. His focus is on international projects, including CORRECTIV.Europe, a European network of local and independent journalists.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BIRN.
