Tisza lawmakers again reject opposition nominees for public media board

Tisza lawmakers have again rejected the opposition’s nominees for Hungary’s Independent Public Media Board, a key institution in the movement’s planned overhaul of public media.

The parliamentary majority approved a media-law amendment on June 23. It provides for the abolition of MTVA and Duna Médiaszolgáltató and the creation of a new public media structure. The board would exercise ownership rights over the new Hungarian Radio and Television Nonprofit Zrt. and MTI Nonprofit Zrt.

That gives the body more than an advisory role. It would become one of the main governing and supervisory institutions in the new public media system. Three members would be nominated by the governing party, three by the opposition and three by media-professional organizations.

Critics have challenged the arrangement because six political appointees would face only three professional members. One of the board’s most important tasks would be to select the permanent leadership of the public media through an open competition.

The reorganization is currently in a transitional phase. Horváth P. András serves as interim professional head, while Peter Magyar’s Tisza movement has proposed Judit Bayer to lead the board.