Hungary's main public television channel, M1, has halted its news broadcasts and the state radio station Kossuth has been suspended entirely, as the country's new government moves to overhaul public media it says was used for propaganda under former prime minister Viktor Orbán. The changes deliver on a central campaign pledge of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who ousted Orbán in April after 16 years in power, and mark a significant attempt to reshape institutions long accused of political bias.

On Tuesday afternoon, M1 displayed a black screen apologising for having "lied" for years and promising reformed, "independent and trustworthy" coverage, while Kossuth's frequencies switched to classical music; both broadcasters' websites also went down. MTVA, which runs M1, said the channel would restart without news before gradually reintroducing bulletins under a new editorial team. Magyar hailed a "historic day" ending "propaganda broadcasts", whereas Orbán condemned the move as "tyranny" by the ruling Tisza party and urged supporters to watch the Fidesz-aligned Hír TV. Magyar, who won a landslide after breaking from Orbán's party in 2024, has pledged to create a new broadcast authority to safeguard press freedom.