ZAGREB, Dec 27 (Hina) - The cessation of the sale of the "Republika" daily, the adoption of new laws on the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) and Hina, as well as changes of some editors-in-chief of several dailies marked the year
2001 in Croatian media. After only six months, the newest daily "Republika" ceased to exist. Its director, Ivo Pukanic, said ahead of the paper's closing, that the publishing of the daily became too big of a financial burden for the publisher. With the adoption of the new law on Hina on October 25, the national news agency met conditions for transforming from a state company to a public one. With the law, Hina acquired a legal capacity and independence as a public company of the special kind. After the law on Hina, the parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Public Informing, which oblige the media to publish their ownership structure. The Law on the HRT, adopted in February, organises the company into a public i
ZAGREB, Dec 27 (Hina) - The cessation of the sale of the "Republika"
daily, the adoption of new laws on the Croatian Radio and Television
(HRT) and Hina, as well as changes of some editors-in-chief of
several dailies marked the year 2001 in Croatian media.
After only six months, the newest daily "Republika" ceased to
exist. Its director, Ivo Pukanic, said ahead of the paper's
closing, that the publishing of the daily became too big of a
financial burden for the publisher.
With the adoption of the new law on Hina on October 25, the national
news agency met conditions for transforming from a state company to
a public one. With the law, Hina acquired a legal capacity and
independence as a public company of the special kind.
After the law on Hina, the parliament adopted amendments to the Law
on Public Informing, which oblige the media to publish their
ownership structure.
The Law on the HRT, adopted in February, organises the company into
a public institution which has three radio and two television
networks at the state level.
Based on the Law on HRT, a HRT Council was established which, for the
first time, does not consist of politicians, but representatives of
22 associations and three members appointed by the President, the
parliament and government.
In April, Kresimir Fijacko was appointed editor-in-chief of
Vjesnik, who said the daily would be "a civilised newspaper which
any normal democratic state has".
In May, Vecernji list daily's editor-in-chief Branko Tudjen was
dismissed and Ruzica Cigler replaced him. However, the chief media
theme about the daily occurred in September when the daily's
management announced the dismissal of some 60 reporters because of
the restructuring of Vecernji list.
After the first reported was sacked, the entire "Business Section"
of the paper went to the competition's (Jutarnji list) publisher,
to start their own business magazine.
After, in mid-April, Slobodna Dalmacija daily's supervisory
committee appointed Srdjan Kovacic for chairman, he dismissed the
editor-in-chief, Josip Jovic. Drazen Gudic was then appointed
acting editor-in-chief.
Split's weekly "Feral Tribune" began being issued in a new format at
the end of October.
At the end of the year, another scandal arose regarding Radio 101 to
which the Council for Radio and Television did not grant concession
for broadcasting on the county level. The radio's representatives
described this decision as a wish of the authorities for the radio
not to be heard outside of Zagreb, even after political changes.
In this year, in which Denis Latin was pronounced reporter of the
year, 22 reporters died, including Croatian Radio editors Branko
Merlin and Andjelko Perincic, as well as renowned theatre critic
and reporter Dalibor Foretic. Foretic was posthumously awarded a
life award by the Croatian Journalists' Society.
(hina) lml sb