Following the domestic and international uproar over the case of Hungary’s private broadcaster Klubrádió, government politicians also shared their take on the incident. According to State Secretary Kovács, the situation is simple: the radio station violated basic regulations several times. Meanwhile, Minister Gulyás thinks that although the case is ripe for “causing international hysteria”, it is not illegal.
Klubrádió committed major infractions, violated basic regulations not once, not twice, but six times, said Zoltán Kovács, in reaction to news regarding radio station Klubrádió having lost an appeal to keep its broadcast license after the Hungarian media regulator NMHH said it had infringed rules.
In a post on the website ‘About Hungary,’ the Secretary of State for International Communications said that these violations include an infraction of broadcasting without authorization in 2014, adding that the radio station never appealed these decisions.
Kovács thinks that political interests sympathetic to the radio station’s programming will try to point fingers at the Orbán government but “…a closer look at the relevant laws and regulations quickly reveals that, in fact, the government has neither the right, the will, nor the possibility to interfere with the legal disputes of private market actors, the media authority and the courts.”
“I think this is what some people call the rule of law…,” he added.
According to Kovács, people are not going to hear about these violations from mainstream, liberal media outlets, simply because it would not fit their “anti-Orbán agenda.”
However, liberal news site hvg.hu points out that Kovács fails to mention that all members of the media regulator are close to the ruling Fidesz party, which is why many believe their refusal to extend Klubrádió’s license was politically motivated.
During his weekly press briefing, Gergely Gulyás also commented on the issue.
“Klubrádió’s case is ripe for causing international hysteria, but it is not illegal,” said the head of the PM’s Office, adding that the radio station’s almost decade-long fight for the frequency license is in fact evidence against criticisms of the state of press freedom in Hungary.
The liberal-leaning Klubrádió is among the last few radio stations in Hungary not under the government’s influence. As of February 14th, it will be silenced after a Budapest court has rejected an appeal by the radio station against Hungary’s media regulator’s decision not to renew its license. The decision caused an uproar both domestically and internationally and reignited debates about Hungarian freedom of the press and the governing forces’ excessive power.
Featured photo illustration via Pixabay
