ZAGREB, Dec 13 (Hina) - Parliament on Friday resumed a combined debate on two Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) bills, one moved by the government and the other by Democratic Centre's Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, although the debate focused
on the government's bill.
ZAGREB, Dec 13 (Hina) - Parliament on Friday resumed a combined
debate on two Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) bills, one moved
by the government and the other by Democratic Centre's Vesna Skare-
Ozbolt, although the debate focused on the government's bill. #L#
The opposition's main objection to the government's bill was that
the government was moving it because of the next parliamentary
ballot. The most critical were MPs from the Croatian Democratic
Union, the Croatian Party of Rights/Croatian Christian Democratic
Union bench, and the Social Liberals, who said the government
wanted to gain more control over television.
Culture Minister Antun Vujic countered by saying the new law would
meet with the approval of international bodies, including the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
In his final statement, Vujic said the government's HRT bill was not
a political attempt to bring order at the HRT in election year. The
legality of the work of the HRT Council is not supervised by the
government but by parliament, he added.
The government has moved a new HRT law because of the "extremely
critical state of management at the HRT which is costing the HRT
serious money," said the minister.
The new law is also being passed because the current HRT law
envisages the separation of the HRT into the television and radio
sectors in the near future, he said. The government in its bill,
however, has abandoned this issue after estimating that it is
currently unfeasible, he added.
In its bill, the government keeps the HRT as a single institution.
It wishes to preserve the HRT as a public medium and privatise its
third channel. The bill stipulates the 11-member HRT Council would
become the main decision-maker which would be appointed by
parliament. The Council would nominate the HRT managing director
based on a public competition.
Also based on a public competition, the managing director would
propose to the HRT Council candidates for the managers of three
organisational units - radio, television, and music production.
Contrary to the government, Skare-Ozbolt proposed that the HRT be
organised as a company, which she said was HRT's only chance to
survive in the increasing competition.
(hina) ha sb