PREMIER ON TALKS WITH RULING COALITION ON CROATIAN RADIO TELEVISION

ZAGREB, Jan 22 (Hina) - Six parties of the ruling coalition entirely agreed that the transmitters and communications sector must be separated from Croatian Radio Television (HRT), furthermore that Croatian Television should have two channels, while the third programme of Croatian Radio should remain on the air for at least a year, Prime Minister Ivica Racan told reporters after talks with presidents of parliamentary benches of the ruling coalition Monday evening. "The ruling coalition definitely harmonised standpoints on a final bill on the Croatian Radio Television and we stick with the standpoint that the transmitters and communications sector be separated from HRT", the Prime Minister said. The ruling coalition also sticks with the standpoint that HRT is a public institution of a special public interest, Racan stressed and added that workers of the radio and television would not be treated as state officials. The ruling coalition also agreed that Croatian Radio Television should be divided in two independent media, and deadline for this was one year. The Prime Minister said that public television would have two channels, while Radio would be left with three radio networks until it became independent. Members of the ruling coalition also decided that competence between the HRT Council and the Management Council should be regulated more specifically. The Management Council would be elected by the Croatian parliament, while the HRT Council would be elected at the motion of the Croatian Journalists' Association and would include representatives of 16 associations and one or two representatives of the Croatian parliament, government and President of State. The HRT Council would motion the director of the HRT after a public bid and discussion, after which the parliament would pass a final decision. These are most the important standpoints of the ruling coalition on the bill on HRT, while amendments to the law will be drafted by a special group in the parliament's Committee for the Constitution, Rule book and Political System, headed by Mato Arlovic. Asked whether the bill would be sent to the third reading, Racan said the plan was to endorse the bill at the upcoming session of the Croatian parliament's House of Counties. (hina) it.