Brussels, 20/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Hungarian opposition radio station, Klubradio, has symbolised the conflict between Budapest and European Commissioner Neelie Kroes. On 14 March, it won its case at the appeals court in Budapest. The latter overruled the decision made by the Media Council to refuse the extension of certain licences to Klubradio, particularly the licence on its frequency in the capital. This decision can now no longer be opposed and is expected to enable the radio station to recover its frequency, which had, in the meantime, been granted to another radio station, Autoradio, whose case was ultimately thrown out by the court. The appeals court judged that the Media Council's decision to withdraw frequency from Klubradio was illegal. This opposition radio station's struggle had a very high profile in the media, particularly because the European Commission saw it as a field in which the first effects of the new media law would be felt. This law entered into force in January 2011 and was described by many observers as the destruction of free expression. Several letters on the subject were exchanged between the staff of Kroes and the government of Viktor Orban. Before contemplating any kind of legal action, the Commission said that it wanted to wait for the results from the different litigation proceedings lodged at the national courts. On her Twitter page, Kroes made a sarcastic comment with regard the court of appeal's decision and noted that the Media Council had to re-open all the procedures for granting licences. She wondered whether, like the previous call for tenders, the tender of essentially musical content to the detriment of news and political comment would again be given the priority. (SP/transl.fl)