Unfortunately, this is it. To quote Géza Hofi's iconic text: Lower than this only if the moles are also interested.

In addition to the momentous, scandalous or unacceptable events and statements, there are (even) simply strange events in our small country. The reason for such an example is also what accompanies the eventual termination of ATV Öt's opinion show.

Only very rarely did the spirit lead me to watch a broadcast, although even the few occasions convinced me that not all press workers and opinion-formers "over there" are blind propagandists. It was possible to hear opinions expressed in a normal voice and style, although I did not share them, which cannot often be said about the vast majority of the mentioned TV programs. Perhaps we could also list the broadcasts hosted by Egon Rónai. My colleague, the presenter, apparently made an effort to avoid broad tongue lashings in his conversations. I don't agree with Egon's political leanings, but I admit that he is probably at the top in terms of his profession.

But back to the Five. Let's assume - which has not yet been officially decided - that the show is cancelled. We can assume that it will still be the case, otherwise why would the start of the new program season have been postponed and why is ATV's staff unwilling to comment on the matter? Not that it is very important, the program policy of a TV is just that. If, for example, viewership decreases, this can be a reason to switch. But it could also be that the blind viewers of the channel don't like it when, from time to time, opinions that do not agree with theirs are given space in relation to an event. Cursing viewers can force a show to be canceled.

The real reasons may never be revealed, after all, television has the right to cancel a show without giving a reason. So why this storm in a teacup?

There is a bit of uncertainty here though. For example, I miss the protests of the very independent, democratic and all other progressive domestic and foreign Ballibs organizations. What a howl and howl we could hear, for example, when Népszabadság, which was paid for because it had become a left-liberal propaganda tool, was terminated by its Austrian owner! Or just when Index "ceased", but in such a way that another opposition portal called Telex remained and grew out of it. Yes, it was the trampling of press freedom. I'll say one thing, there will be two of them.

After that, I don't understand what this big left-liberal silence is? What could be the reason why there is no shaking of fists, no screaming, the libs are not hurt by the "mockery of freedom of the press". Now isn't anyone barking that evil TV is silencing the sounds of freedom? However, neither András Schiffer nor András Hont can be accused of being pro-government, even less Zoltán Ceglédi and Péter Konok.

András Schiffer commented on the situation on his social media page, as follows:

"the show is over, it won't be, it was cancelled..../…/...There are channels that - simply for business purposes, you don't even need a political agenda for this - are prisoners of one opinion sect and the opinion sects are damned not interested in other opinions, only the to their own, and to its increasingly extreme confirmations..../…/…nowadays there are not many well-argued opinions (see comment streams), rather just vomiting-like outbursts of anger..."

In his post, of course, he pokes one to the left and to the right, but that's just the way he is, he tries to stay in the middle.

András Hont is still optimistic, in his opinion it is too early to be happy about the end of the broadcast, because it has not yet ended.

"I don't know exactly what will happen and how. It is never easy for hard-headed, stubborn people, and it does not depend only on us"

he writes in his Facebook post.

Correct, elegant reactions, which is commendable, but there are other types as well. Historian Péter Konok briefly – and in other words – thinks the reactions to the show's termination are exaggeration, and he also suggests that, in his opinion, the show is being accused of being Fidesz. So, according to Konok, this could be the reason for the termination, although he pretends that the move is ultimately insignificant.

On the contrary, since he also belongs to the ranks of the leftist Peters, he did not fail to reject the charge of the "faithful show" in a jerk manner, surrounded by insulting the system:

"If a discussion program really controlled what was happening here, we would really be living somewhere on the nightmarish borderland of Idiocracy and Black Mirror, not in a foot-smelling, thieving, often scary, often ridiculous, grotesque little pseudo-dictatorship. Let's stop overestimating this crappy system!"

And after his idea, we don't overestimate this... shape. It is said that in addition to being a historian, he is also a publicist, so his style is very far from literary. Compared to him, Schiffer and Hont are champions of elegance.

Unfortunately, this is it. To quote Géza Hofi's iconic text: Lower than this only if the moles are also interested.

As I indicated, I was not a frequent viewer of The Five and, by some miracle, even then I only saw the manifestations of Schiffer and Hont (although maybe others as well, but they - I think, not accidentally - did not leave a mark on me). However, if Konok brought the same level on air, I'm not surprised that even the hosts of ATV were shocked by this.

Konok also admits that he hates Fidesz, "I consider them a vile, scandalous band of robbers, an exceptional company operating with the most vile methods and based on the most terrible instincts and frustrations". If Konok knew himself better, perhaps he could take some adjectives from his list...

In the end, with the exception of Péter, I'm sorry if the others would fall from the publicity necessary to express their opinions, but such is life. Or the media world. And since I wouldn't watch their show regularly even if it continued from the fall, I can say with a calm mind that I will neither rejoice nor cry at the ending.

Neither did they shed tears when Lajos Simicska from Hír TV started an Orbán-hating organ.

So for me Eight, will it be Five.

Featured Image: Screenshot