M1 is managed and primarily funded by MTVA, a government organization formed in 2011. The creation of MTVA and transfer of public media into it has been frequently criticised by NGO's as being politically motivated, intended to the lessen the independence of public service media in Hungary. The government said restructuring was necessary to improve the finances of the public media system, and that all of the organizations within MTVA retain editorial independence.

MTI Photo: Szigetváry Zsolt