Hungary: Critical radio may lose license; watchdog concerned

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, the continent’s democracy watchdog, on Friday expressed her concerns about a decision by Hungarian media authorities not to renew the broadcast license of a radio station which often airs views critical of the government.

Dunja Mijatovic tweeted that the decision by Hungary’s Media Council “is a further illustration of the pressure on independent media” and that she would continue to raise media freedom issues with the Hungarian government.

“Plurality of media voices must be preserved in democracies,” Mijatovic tweeted. Between 2010 and 2016, she served as the Representative on Freedom of the Media at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Klubradio has been in the crosshairs of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government since his return to power in 2010 and the station had to win numerous lawsuits against the media authorities before receiving a seven-year permit which expires in February. Klubradio used to have national reach, but media authorities stripped it of its regional licenses and it currently broadcasts only in Budapest, the capital.

The Media Council said that it wouldn't automatically renew Klubradio's license because of numerous — but unspecified — irregularities, and the broadcaster will have to compete with other companies if it wants to continue using the 92.7 FM frequency.

The radio said in an article on its website that the Media Council "had no reason which could be taken seriously or was legally significant” for rejecting the extension of Klubradio's licence.

“Klubradio has no intention of accepting that they want to silence it,” the station said. “It will use every means possible to fight the Media Council decision in...