Hungary's State TV Stops News, Admits "We Lied" in On-Air Apology

Hungary's state television suspended its news broadcasts yesterday (Tuesday), replacing its regular programming with a message that read: "Public broadcasting cannot lie, and we apologize."

M1, the country's main state television channel, displayed the message on a black screen shortly after the new government, led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, replaced the leadership of the state television and radio networks. Throughout his election campaign, Magyar argued that under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary's public media "had become controlled by him through draconian laws."

The message on the screen continued: "Sorry we lied. We apologize that for many years we did so anyway. Public broadcasting is now undergoing change so that in the future it will be independent and trustworthy. The news service is temporarily suspended. Stay with us!"

Magyar later wrote: "A historic day. Today, the propaganda broadcasts in Hungary's public media have finally come to an end. They lied at night, they lied during the day, they lied on every channel. Now it is over."

The move follows another major reform introduced by Magyar's government: a law limiting a prime minister's term to eight years, effectively preventing Orbán from returning to office. Magyar has also pledged to amend Hungary's constitution and has called on the heads of the country's two highest courts, the state comptroller, the competition and communications authority, the attorney general, and Hungary's president to resign, claiming they are Orbán's "puppets."