Christian Democrat: Simicska media no longer “reference point”

Budapest, March 24 (MTI) – Governing politicians have a justified fear that commercial broadcaster HirTV and national daily Magyar Nemzet could “stab them in the back”, Peter Harrach, leader of the junior governing Christian Democrats is reported as saying.

“HirTV and Magyar Nemzet are no longer what they used to be,” Harrach told Tuesday’s Nepszabadsag daily in an interview.

“[W]hereas it’s true that they can be relatively balanced, in an election campaign, on the instructions of the owner in which feelings and grievances are greater than obligation, those who until now rowed in the same boat could be stabbed in the back,” Harrach said.

He insisted that HirTV was dispensable but he denied that the new public service rolling news channel M1 would be politically influenced. “This is a national news channel not Fidesz TV,” he said.

He added, however, there was a need to build up a new media organisation on the right, since the government could no longer count on HirTV, Magyar Nemzet or Lancid Radio. But this would not happen in a matter of “a couple of months.”

Asked if he would boycott the outlets, he said he would weigh up each request for an appearance on its merits, adding that he felt a loyalty and solidarity towards Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Photo: pixabay

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters