The launch of an independent and authoritative news programme on the M1 channel will mark a new chapter in the history of public service broadcasting on the August 20 national holiday, the press and marketing department of Duna Media Services Nonprofit told MTI on Tuesday.
New chapter may begin in history of public service media
An all-day celebratory programme will be hosted by renowned presenters Antónia Mészáros and Ádám Bősze, whose return — limited to this day only — will demonstrate that public media is striving not only to provide credible, accessible and multifaceted information, but also to regain professional autonomy and viewers’ trust, the statement said.
Mészáros is an an experienced journalist who had worked for years in the BBC’s most prestigious London newsrooms, and she became known in Hungary’s public media as a resolute reporter who was removed following an interview with then Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in 2010. She later continued her career at commercial news channel ATV, before leaving the screen in 2017 to become executive director of UNICEF Hungary, a position she has held ever since.
Bősze is a leading figure in the promotion of Hungarian culture and music. The music historian worked at Bartók Rádió for over a decade and a half, and he has been a commentator on prestigious opera and concert broadcasts, as well as a television presenter.
Leaked: Fidesz could be dismantled within weeks as its fate rests with members – and János Lázár
Flag-raising, flower carnival, Holy Right Hand, show
The all-day programme on 20 August will feature prominent figures from Hungarian public, cultural and academic life, and public service media crews will be present at all major celebratory events, as well as at gatherings of the Hungarian community in rural areas and abroad.
In keeping with tradition, public service media will broadcast live the flag-raising ceremony, the military parade and the subsequent air show live in Budapest, as well as the Debrecen Flower Carnival, and, in the early evening, the Procession of the Holy Right Hand. From 9.00pm, viewers will be able to watch live the spectacular show in front of the parliamentary section of the River Danube. As part of the festive programme schedule, the news programme Híradó will again be presented on M1.
If you missed: Could the August 20 fireworks be cancelled? Looming peril threatens Budapest
Featured image: facebook/kozmedia
