Eight Council members unanimously concluded that, independently of everyone's right to state their opinion and of an editor's right to choose a show's guests, last week's "Piramida" let hate speak and intolerance be used on HTV.
The Council convened at the proposal of one of its members, Juro Njavro, after receiving numerous complaints from war veterans' associations over the participation of the leader of the Party of the Danube Region Serbs, Rade Leskovac, in "Piramida". Veterans were disgruntled with Leskovac's statements about the Homeland War and his spreading of hatred for everything Croatian.
Njavro reproached the HRT over the fact that "Piramida" had never invited the leader of a veterans' association and over the fact that Leskovac, whom he described as the leader or a negligible party, had also guested in three other prominent HRT shows.
Njavro was also dissatisfied with the fact that "Piramida" host Zeljka Ogresta had not cautioned Leskovac against using hate speak.
HRT acting director Vanja Sutlic said it was his duty to defend legal as well as professional principles. "Our duty is to state the truth about the Homeland War and sympathise with the victims and to recognise what's in the public interest."
HTV director Marija Nemcic said no one was running away from responsibility. "I'm not defending the show, but I do defend the approach that there are no banned people or topics."
Programmes Council president Zdenko Ljevak said that at the next session, on April 25, he would initiate the replacement of some people unless the Directorate provided clear answers as to who was accountable for omissions in "Piramida".