RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service is closing down from midnight on November 21, some five years after relaunching to provide Hungarians with accurate, independent news and information.
In a message to its audience, the service said its team had “worked with dedication to provide independent journalism for audiences in Hungary.”
The service’s content will remain available online.
“We are deeply grateful for the trust, engagement, and support our readers have shown us,” the statement said.
RFE/RL President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Capus praised the work of the Hungarian Service’s journalists.
“Their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering contribution to our mission have shaped our success in meaningful ways, and we remain profoundly grateful for everything they have brought to this organization,” he said.
The Hungarian service was relaunched in 2020 at the direction of the US Congress. Prior to that, it had operated between 1950 and 1993.
The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent government agency that oversees RFE/RL, Voice of America, and other US-funded broadcasters,, notified Congress on November 5, 2025, that it intended to terminate RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service. The termination is effective November 21, 2025.
“We are grateful for the audience’s attention and support from the first day of our new operation and were honored to provide them unique and original stories,” Tibor Vovesz, the head of the Hungarian service, said.
