COE EXPERTS, CRO. OFFICIALS DISCUSS NEW CRO. TELEVISION LAW

ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - A Council of Europe team of experts in media issues is visiting Zagreb on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Croatian officials on the draft of a new Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) law. The CoE experts, invited by the Croatian side, today held talks with Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Zeljka Antunovic, members of a task force in charge of drafting the HRT law, and representatives of parliament. Our task is to offer advice in drafting a new HRT law which would lead to HRT's transformation into a public medium, said Christophe Poirel, head of CoE's media department. Croatian parliament deputy speaker Mato Arlovic voiced satisfaction with the meeting parliament's representatives held with CoE's experts, adding talks addressed concrete solutions which, incorporated in the HRT law, would make the law a "quality means of HRT's transformation into a public television." "We are however aware that the law alone will not completely settle the transformation issue. We must also ensure professional, independent, objective journalists, as well as a relatively independent financial situation on HRT," said Arlovic. (hina) ha mm