Hungary opposition radio gets 60-day stay of execution

(BUDAPEST) - Hungary's sole nationwide opposition station Klubradio, which recently lost its licence, on Wednesday said it had been granted a 60-day extension pending a court review.

With an average 400,000 listeners daily, the 10-year-old outfit is the country's sixth-largest radio station in terms of audience, and the second largest offering news as well as music.

Hungary's powerful media council, staffed exclusively with allies of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, decided in December to pull Klubradio's frequency with effect from March 2012.

However, the station said on its website Wednesday it had been given a 60 day extension while a court prepares to rule on the legality of the media council's decision.

The council was created as part of the government's media reforms last year -- changes that drew sharp international condemnation, especially from fellow European Union members.