BRUSSELS – An anti-Semitic and Roma-bashing TV broadcaster in Hungary has received the country’s top journalism prize.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government awarded Ferenc Szaniszlo the Tancsics Prize for journalism on Friday (15 March).

Szaniszlo works at the pro-government Echo TV channel.

He was fined €500 by the state media regulator in 2011 for calling Roma people “apes.” He is also known for spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories during his TV shows.

Hungary’s minister of resources Zoltan Balog handed over the prize.

Balog claims he was unaware of Szaniszlo’s views, as 10 other Tancsics winners from other categories returned their prizes on Monday in protest, according to British daily The Independent.

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