ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - Croatian Culture Minister Antun Vujic on Monday announced that the new law on Croatian Radio Television (HRT) would be adopted before the end of the year in regular Sabor proceedings.
ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - Croatian Culture Minister Antun Vujic on
Monday announced that the new law on Croatian Radio Television
(HRT) would be adopted before the end of the year in regular Sabor
proceedings. #L#
At a press conference Vujic reminded that a wide public debate was
conducted on several draft bill.
He reiterated that conclusions by the Sabor as well as provisions in
the existing law made the amendments to the law obligatory and that
it was necessary to separate HRT into two institutions and to
privatise Channel 3.
Vujic assessed that this portion of tasks was completed as was the
depoliticising of HRT and the separation of transmitters and
communications.
Vujic believes that good and economic solutions that would
transform HRT into a community of three public institutions -
radio, television and musical productions - with the maintenance of
a unit of common tasks.
The head of the community of three HRT public institutions would be
elected by the Sabor by a two-third majority, the principle of each
individual institution would be elected by the HRT Council at the
recommendation of the head of the community. Editors-in-chief and
editors of information programmes on radio and television would be
chosen in public competition.
Vujic said that the Ministry still had not decided which method of
selection or the consistency would be recommended by the HRT
Council.
One of the proposals is that the model of 25 members remains while
the second would reduce the number of members to 11. It is proposed
that they be selected by the Sabor with a greater majority based on
public advertisement and that 11 institutions or association
nominate their representatives or that they be nominated by the
Sabor at the recommendation of institutions and associations. Four
members should be MPs, two from major parties or the coalition and
two from the opposition.
Vujic assessed that all these proposals were democratic, including
the one that four members of the Council be MPs. He added that the
proposal that the HRT Council includes politicians was not in
opposition to recommendations by the Council of Europe as long as
these politicians are in the minority.
Vujic believes that the Council will continue to have real
political power because it will have decisive influence on the
election of leading people in the administration and channels,
however, he believes that this could be neutralised with provisions
by which the Council cannot influence the contents of certain
programmes in advance nor to view them prior to their televising.
(hina) sp sb