The Tisza Party has submitted a comprehensive bill to Parliament that would fundamentally transform Hungary’s public media system, abolishing the current MTVA-based structure and replacing it with a new institutional framework designed to increase transparency, political balance and public oversight.

The 54-page proposal, submitted on Friday evening by Tisza MPs István Hantosi, Márton Melléthei-Barna and Krisztián Kulcsár, would represent one of the most significant media reforms since Hungary’s post-2010 media restructuring, Telex writes.

“Returning public media to the public”

Presenting the proposal, Zoltán Tarr, the minister responsible for social affairs and culture in the Tisza-led government, said the reform’s core objective is to “return public media to the public, to the Hungarian people.”

According to Tarr, the legislation would restore the independence of the Media Council, which currently oversees both commercial and public-service broadcasters, while also introducing new guarantees intended to shield public media from political influence.

If the law enters into force, the mandates of the current Media Council members, the board of the Public Service Foundation, and the senior executives of both Duna Media Service and MTVA would end immediately.

An interim period would then allow for consultations and public dialogue before new leadership positions are filled through open competitions based on professional criteria.

MTVA would disappear

One of the proposal’s most dramatic changes is the abolition of MTVA’s current role.

Under the plan, the existing structure centred on the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) and Duna Media Service would be dismantled and replaced by two separate organisations:

  • Magyar Rádió és Televízió Nonprofit Zrt. (Hungarian Radio and Television)
  • Magyar Távirati Iroda Nonprofit Zrt. (MTI)

The reform would restore MTI as an independent national news agency while separating news agency operations from broadcasting activities.

The newly created Hungarian Radio and Television company would take over radio, television, audiovisual, digital and programme-production public-service functions.

New watchdog: Independent Public Media Board

The bill would establish a new supervisory body called the Independent Public Media Board (Független Közmédia Testület), replacing the current Public Service Foundation.

The board would be tasked with protecting public media independence, supervising operations and finances, monitoring major contracts and participating in the appointment of senior management.

Its nine members would be selected through a mixed political and professional system:

  • Three nominated by governing parties
  • Three nominated by opposition parliamentary groups
  • Three nominated by independent media-sector organisations

Strict eligibility rules would apply. Anyone who held party office, served as a party delegate or engaged in party-political activities during the previous five years would be barred from membership.

The board would also commission annual independent reviews evaluating public-service broadcasting and news agency performance.

Tougher financial oversight

The proposed board would receive significant powers over public media spending.

It would approve annual business plans and major budget allocations, while contracts worth more than HUF 300 million (EUR 850,000) would require prior negotiation authorisation. Contracts exceeding HUF 100 million would need formal approval before being concluded.

Supporters argue that these measures would make public media spending considerably more transparent and accountable than under the current system.

Public Service Charter and broader civic oversight

The bill would replace the existing Public Service Code with a new Public Service Charter.

According to the proposal, the charter would establish clear professional standards for public media and make compliance measurable and enforceable rather than symbolic.

Oversight of these standards would fall to a newly created Public Service Council consisting of 18 members nominated by a broad range of institutions and organisations, including:

  • The Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  • The Hungarian Olympic Committee
  • Universities and rectors’ organisations
  • Historical churches
  • Minority self-governments
  • Professional cultural organisations
  • Family, child protection and disability advocacy groups
  • Environmental and animal protection organisations

The council’s primary role would be to provide social oversight of public-service media content and operations.

New Media Fund to support independent journalism

Another major pillar of the reform is the creation of a new Media Fund (Sajtóalap).

Unlike MTVA, which currently combines public media financing and media-support functions, the Media Fund would focus on supporting independent media providers, community broadcasters, public-service productions and publications operating according to recognised journalistic standards.

The fund would receive revenue from multiple sources, including media service fees, frequency fees, fines, contractual penalties and voluntary contributions.

Changes to public media financing

The proposal would also introduce a new financing model for public-service media.

Beginning in 2028, public media organisations would operate on three-year budget cycles instead of annual funding periods.

Direct state support would be calculated according to the number of households in Hungary and automatically adjusted each year in line with inflation, providing a more predictable funding mechanism.

Media Council reform

The bill would also reshape the Media Council itself.

The current nine-year mandates would be shortened to five years, while the selection process would become more politically balanced.

Under the proposal, five council members would be appointed:

  • Two nominated by governing parties
  • Two nominated by opposition parties
  • One chairperson selected through an open professional application process

Political nominees would serve four-year terms, while the chairperson would receive a five-year mandate.

Tisza’s criticism of the current system

Tarr argued that democratic transition in Hungary must extend to public media and media regulation. He said legal declarations of independence alone are insufficient and must be backed by institutional guarantees.

The proposal’s justification states that public media plays a crucial role in providing reliable information, promoting national culture and encouraging social dialogue, but argues that these functions have not been adequately fulfilled since 2010.

The Tisza Party has repeatedly accused the current public media system of serving government interests rather than the public, a claim that remains strongly disputed by supporters of the existing structure.

If adopted, the legislation would mark the most extensive overhaul of Hungary’s public media landscape in more than a decade, fundamentally changing how state-funded media organisations are governed, financed and supervised.

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