Hungarian public media terminates contracts with Balásy-owned companies

The interim management of Hungary’s public media, Duna Médiaszolgáltató Zrt., has terminated contracts with New Land Media and Lounge Design with immediate effect. The decision, announced by the media service provider, is expected to result in savings of nearly half a billion forints.

András Horváth, the interim CEO, stated that the previous management had entered into disadvantageous and overpriced contracts with companies owned by Gyula Balásy. He noted that these agreements would have imposed unnecessary order obligations and further public spending despite a lack of actual tasks.

The move is part of an ongoing audit aimed at uncovering operational anomalies that allegedly served the propaganda of the previous administration. Horváth emphasized that the renewed public media must provide authentic, impartial, and diverse information while managing taxpayer funds responsibly, rather than partnering with entities that provided manipulative communication.