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November 30, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 6
quickly built up a right-wing portfolio concentrat- ed in the hands of three to four business circles.
After the split, Simicska's media outlets became the voice of the opposition and fierce critics of the government. Just after the third supermajority victory by Fidesz in April, however, Hungary’s 11th richest person threw in the towels. First, he shut down his newspaper and a few months later he sold all his stakes to his business partner, Zsolt Nyerges, who has recently announced that the business empire of the oligarch was acquired by companies owned by Meszaros. Meszaros has since become Hungary's second richest man, or even the wealthiest according to some accounts, and he has become the largest media owner.
Before Wednesday’s milestone events, he held ownership in 15 out of the 19 county newspapers, which all boast high readership despite losing some 20% of subscribers in the last two years. Meszaros also owns a commercial television channel with very low ratings, several national dailies and dozens of internet news sites.
Hungary's second largest commercial broadcaster, Tv2, is owned by Andy Vajna, a commissioner for the film industry. Local media say he has appar- ently fallen out of favour with Orban, who is not satisfied with the falling ratings and massive losses incurred by the broadcaster, despite massive in- flows in state ads. Vajna may be forced to quit Tv2 and transfer it to the new central foundation.
Vajna also owns Lapcom, which publishes Hunga- ry’s second largest tabloid and two other regional newspapers with very high readership.
Another power centre in the Fidesz media empire is run by a former advisor to Orban. Arpad Habony has made headway in helping Fidesz establish
a presence in the tabloid media in both the print and internet segments. Habony’s name came up in the scandal surrounding fugitive Macedonia ex-prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who recently fled to Hungary to avoid a prison sentence in his home country. Habony’s associates have acquired ownership in right-wing media in Macedonia.
The massive media presence of the Fidesz led government in the countryside played a major role in the party’s third landslide election victory in April 2018.
State news channel operator MTVA has been under the direct control of the ruling party since 2010, but other news outlets also regularly re- ceive the main talking points of the government. Government-controlled media is exaggerating the fears from illegal migration, a constant topic of the last three years, the theme that has helped Fidesz cement its powers. Government control over the media will strengthen further with the unprecedented events unfolding on November 28, independent news sites reported.