"EROTEL'S" NEWS WON'T STAY DISCONTINUATION OF HRT RE-AIRING IN BH

SARAJEVO, Jan 22 (Hina) - The Independent Media Commission (IMC) in Bosnia on Friday welcomed the Mostar-based "Erotel" television company's announcement that in the future it would broadcast its own news programme. Until now, "Erotel" only re-aired Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) programmes. In a statement delivered to Hina on Friday, the IMC said any expansion of professional news programmes was welcome. The IMC also hopes "Erotel's" news programme will contribute to the establishment of a Bosnian Federation television system. The IMC pointed out however that it saw no reason to change its decision of December 16, 1998 stating that HRT re-airing in Bosnia must end. That decision assessed that HRT programmes represent disloyal competition to television companies in Bosnia, while simultaneously obstructing a normal development of Bosnia's media market. The IMC therefore decided that the re-airing of HRT programmes must be discontinued as soon as possible, i.e. as soon as Bosnia's Radio- Television was capable of setting up a federal television system which will fulfil the needs of the Croat community in Bosnia. (hina) ha jn