The Restructuring of the Hungarian Media System

Abstract

The history of the Hungarian media system over the past decade and a half can be described as the decline of the market economy, the restriction of competition, and the capture of the media. State intervention has taken many forms, ranging from ownership restructuring to the market-distorting effect of state advertising and pressure on independent media outlets. Individually, these would be noteworthy developments in an EU Member State, but in Hungary, state intervention in the media market has become systemic. The paper describes the main elements of this systemic intervention and their interaction. The transformation of the Hungarian media system is not due to any one factor alone but rather to the fact that media policy actions have been unidirectional, and over time, the state has become a major player even where market conditions have prevailed. The current Hungarian media system is worryingly similar to what it was before the political transformation, but with the notable difference that administrative instruments have been replaced by less visible market interventions.