ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Following the cancellation of the Split local television station ATV, the Croatian Journalists' Society and a group of television and radio reporters, called Forum 21, expressed solidarity and support to ATV
employees who have been prevented from doing their work. "It is a fact that ATV has not paid its contractual debts, but it is also a fact that the Ministry has pulled ATV's plug ahead of its broadcasting a very popular political show, which makes one justifiably doubt that this is a consistent application of law provisions, but rather a classical attempt to throttle media freedoms," a HND and Forum 21 joint statement read. Several hours before the broadcast of an interview with the president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, Drazen Budisa, in the talk show "Cenzura interview" on Friday afternoon, state inspector Miroslav Beluzic cut off ATV's transmitters because of ATV'
ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Following the cancellation of the Split local
television station ATV, the Croatian Journalists' Society and a
group of television and radio reporters, called Forum 21, expressed
solidarity and support to ATV employees who have been prevented
from doing their work.
"It is a fact that ATV has not paid its contractual debts, but it is
also a fact that the Ministry has pulled ATV's plug ahead of its
broadcasting a very popular political show, which makes one
justifiably doubt that this is a consistent application of law
provisions, but rather a classical attempt to throttle media
freedoms," a HND and Forum 21 joint statement read.
Several hours before the broadcast of an interview with the
president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, Drazen Budisa, in
the talk show "Cenzura interview" on Friday afternoon, state
inspector Miroslav Beluzic cut off ATV's transmitters because of
ATV's unpaid debts and expired license for the use of the
transmitter.
Not denying the right and duty of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs,
Transport and Telecommunications to apply laws consistently, the
HND and Forum 21 warned that experience to date showed that the
Ministry did not have equal criteria for all concession owners.
The HND and Forum 21 warned that payments for concessions and the
use of frequencies were too high for the true abilities of local
broadcasting stations.
Free media and media pluralism are the best way for citizens to be
thoroughly informed and local stations have an extremely important
role in providing information for the public, they stressed.
"Suffocating stations which do not wish to be the spokestools for
the authorities actually consolidates the monopoly of the Croatian
Radio and Television which is still under strict control of the
ruling party. In the year of elections, chances are, unfortunately,
that media monolythism will be imposed in a violent way, which does
not help the strengthening of democracy in Croatia," the statement
signed by HND vice-president Gojko Marinkovic and Forum 21
president Damir Matkovic said.
(hina) lml jn