Klubradio, one of Hungary's last independent radio broadcasters, will be taken off the air on February 15 after a Budapest court upheld a decision by regulators not to renew its licence on February 9. The court argued that it had no room to consider the broadcaster’s appeal due to "repeated offences" committed by the broadcaster.

The silencing of Klubradio fits into the Orban’s government media strategy to sideline critical voices. The station had lost its nationwide frequency in 2014, which led to a huge international uproar. Eventually, it won a local Budapest frequency and can only be listened to elsewhere on the internet.

Hungary's media council NMHH, which consists solely of delegates of the ruling Fidesz party, decided in September not to renew the radio's license, citing "regulatory offenses." These included the late reporting of how compulsory quotas of Hungarian music were met in its programme.

The station has acknowledged it was late in filing reports on programming content. Similar mistakes by other broadcasters have not resulted in the revocation of their licenses.

President and owner Andras Arato called the entire procedure shameful because the media regulators are allowed to make such discriminatory decisions."We are witnesses to a verdict that serves an endlessly cowardly, anti-democratic, illiberal system. It is not a surprise, but it is still sad,'' Arato said.

The radio will file an appeal against the verdict and will go online until the media authority decides on the 92.9Mhz frequency in Budapest. It may still be able to return to full broadcasting as it is the only applicant to have met criteria in the regulator’s tender for the frequency it currently uses.

In October, the NMHH said Klubradio had every chance of success in its bid for the 92.9 MHz frequency, arguing that criteria for a successful bid include experience in providing a media service.

The broadcaster has been engaged in a series of legal battles with Hungary’s media authority composed of government-appointed delegates to stay afloat. Unlike government-friendly media flooded with state advertisements, Klubradio relied mainly on donations from listeners to stay afloat.

The Budapest-based talk radio station reaches 500,000 people and is popular among leftwing intellectuals. The station features talk shows with guests critical of the policies of Hungary's nationalist government.