Hungary: Klubradio, the country's first private radio station, stops broadcasting this Sunday

Klubradio premises in Budapest, February 9, 2021. REUTERS - BERNADETT SZABO

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

In Hungary, the country's first private radio station, Klubradio, will cease broadcasting on Sunday February 14 at midnight.

The old radio of the Hungarian Automobile Club, over time has become a resolutely anti-Orban media.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Budapest, 

 Florence La Bruyère

Every afternoon, journalist György Bolgar talks live with listeners.

It is one of Klubradio's most popular shows.

But from Sunday February 14 at midnight, we will no longer hear this radio on the FM band.

"

 The Media Council refused to renew our frequency, all because we sent documents on the music that we broadcast late

 ", he explains.

The Media Supervisory Board (NMHH), which only includes representatives of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party, withdrew its frequency because it allegedly " 

broke the rules

 ".

Another setback for freedom of information in Hungary.

But Klubradio, whose critical voice touches nearly 200,000 listeners, or a tenth of Budapesters, intends to resist.

Second life on the Internet

Other radios sent their documents late to the Media Council.

But Klub is the only one to be kicked off the airwaves.

The government had already removed all its frequencies in the provinces from this opposition radio station.

Today, Viktor Orban wants to silence her for good, believes its director, Andras Arato, who declares: “ 

Orban, lost the last municipal elections in Budapest.

He is afraid of the next general election. We are a democratic, liberal voice, that can only displease a populist regime.

 "

Klubradio continues on the Internet, however.

But its listeners are mostly elderly people who are not connected.

We have set up two hotlines to explain how Internet radio works 

," explains Mihaly Hardy, its editor.

And Klubradio has just launched a mobile phone application.

Maybe a way to rejuvenate your audience.

► To read also: Hungary: the first independent radio in the country deprived of antenna

Since his return to power in 2010, sovereignist Viktor Orban has also brought public television into line.

He had his friends bought out opposition media to shut them down or turn them into propaganda tools.

The ruling clan dominates 80% of the media landscape. 

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Hungary

  • Media

  • Viktor Orban

On the same subject

Hungary: the country's first independent radio station with no antenna

Media column

Illiberal information management in Central Europe

European accents

"Together, let's defend freedom", a call for freedom of expression