Civil Radio is one of the last Hungarian independent community radio stations. Programmes on Civil Radio are made by nearly 150 volunteers and activists whose work is supported by only a small staff. Over the years, we have never been the favourites of the governments in power, but we were always able to collect our annual budget from various grants, tenders and other funding sources in the past 20 years. Political changes in the last few years are affected negatively Hungary’s media sector and the whole of Hungarian civil society. This has changed the life of Civil Radio completely and made our situation nearly impossible to continue broadcasting. Most of the Hungarian independent community radio stations have disappeared in the last three years — and now Civil Radio is under threat to be the next.

Do not let us be silenced! We do not ask for hundreds of thousands of Euros and Forints. We can continue broadcasting from the 5% of an ordinary media service provider’s annual budget — therefore every Euro and Forint counts, every little bit of help is appreciated.

Civil Radio is a genuine independent community radio and from the beginning it was not established to make profit. We use our frequency as a tool to give voice to people and communities that act for the society but whose voice is not normally heard in the mainstream Hungarian mass media.

Civil Radio does not serve political parties and economic interest groups — our ‘owners’ are everyday people, civil communities and NGOs who want to remain independent from political groups and political parties. Our programme makers are the same kinds of people — among our editors and presenters there are retired people, high school students, journalists, engineers, social workers, mothers, bus drivers, bricklayers and more who on-air present their own world with their own words.

Civil Radio is an open radio — anyone can come to our studios anytime look at how we operate and can join us and be part of our life.