Hungary’s parliament has approved a comprehensive reform of the country’s public media system, creating new institutions, restoring the independence of the national news agency, and introducing a revamped oversight framework aimed at strengthening editorial independence and public accountability.
Lawmakers voted 145–39 on Tuesday in favour of legislation submitted by Tisza Party MPs István Hantosi, Márton Melléthei-Barna, and Krisztián Kulcsár. Most provisions will take effect 30 days after the law is officially promulgated.
Under the new legislation, the Media Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) will be merged into Duna Media Service Nonprofit Plc, which will subsequently be renamed the Hungarian Radio and Television Nonprofit Plc. The new organization will be responsible for public radio, television, audiovisual, digital, and programme production services.
A key element of the reform is the restoration of the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) as an independent entity through the establishment of MTI Nonprofit Plc. Operating with a separate budget, the agency will provide domestic and international news, written and video reports, photographs, background materials, graphics, and archival services.
The law requires MTI to report on the activities of parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties, civil society organizations, the government, public administration, local governments, courts, and prosecutors. It must also maintain a nationwide correspondent network, including in Budapest, Hungary’s counties, Hungarian communities across the Carpathian Basin, and key international locations.
The chief executives of both the Hungarian Radio and Television Nonprofit Plc and MTI will be selected through open competitions. Individuals who have served as prime minister, government ministers, state secretaries, members of parliament, mayors, party officials, or other political officeholders within the previous five years will be ineligible.
Beginning in 2028, parliament will approve the budgets of both public media organizations through separate three-year funding legislation.
The reform also replaces the existing Public Service Foundation with a new Independent Public Media Board, which will exercise shareholder rights over the public media organizations.
The nine-member board will consist of six nominees from parliamentary groups—equally divided between governing and opposition parties—and three representatives nominated by media professional organizations. Political officeholders and individuals engaged in party political activities during the previous five years will be barred from serving. The board will appoint chief executives, oversee supervisory boards and auditors, monitor financial management, approve major contracts, and commission annual independent editorial audits.
Supporting the board’s work will be the Independent Public Media Board Office, operating as a dedicated budgetary institution.
‘The law significantly revises the principles governing public service media…Editorial independence is explicitly established as a core principle’
The legislation also establishes a new Press Fund to replace MTVA’s funding role. Rather than financing public media operations directly, the fund will support independent media outlets, community broadcasters, public service programming, and journalism adhering to recognized ethical standards.
The law significantly revises the principles governing public service media. Public broadcasters will be required to provide impartial, balanced, and high-quality information while operating independently of government, political parties, and economic interests. Editorial independence is explicitly established as a core principle.
These principles will be further defined in a new Public Service Charter, drafted by an 18-member Public Service Council. The council will annually evaluate reports submitted by the public broadcaster and MTI, and may recommend dismissing chief executives if it rejects their performance reports.
The Media Council will also be expanded from five to seven members. Three members will be nominated by governing parties, three by opposition parties, while the council’s chairperson will be selected through an open competition. Members will serve four-year terms, while the chairperson’s mandate will last five years.
As with the new media institutions, individuals involved in party politics during the previous five years will be ineligible to serve on the Media Council.
The mandates of the current Media Council members and chairperson, as well as the chief executives of Duna Media Service and MTVA, will terminate the day after the law is promulgated, while the remainder of the legislation will enter into force 30 days later.
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