ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - The Croatian State Legacy Foundation on Tuesday organised a round table in Zagreb which discussed problems encountered in financing public and private commercial televisions, their competition on the media
market, and ways of improving Croatia's media space. Opening the round table, Foundation manager Ivic Pasalic pointed to the importance Croatian authorities had given to the development of electronic media in building a democratic society, by granting a high number of concessions to various television and radio stations. Pasalic pointed to the need of ensuring financial stability to Croatia Radio and Television (HRT), as a public television, but, he added, in such a way which will enable commercial televisions to conduct normal business as well. Speaking about a recently imposed time-limit on commercials on HRT, the vice president of the Telecommunications Council, Domin
ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - The Croatian State Legacy Foundation on
Tuesday organised a round table in Zagreb which discussed problems
encountered in financing public and private commercial
televisions, their competition on the media market, and ways of
improving Croatia's media space.
Opening the round table, Foundation manager Ivic Pasalic pointed to
the importance Croatian authorities had given to the development of
electronic media in building a democratic society, by granting a
high number of concessions to various television and radio
stations.
Pasalic pointed to the need of ensuring financial stability to
Croatia Radio and Television (HRT), as a public television, but, he
added, in such a way which will enable commercial televisions to
conduct normal business as well.
Speaking about a recently imposed time-limit on commercials on HRT,
the vice president of the Telecommunications Council, Dominik
Filipovic, said the limit was introduced not to reduce HRT's
profit, but to improve programme quality and to stimulate
competition.
Only a quality programme can ensure the television's existence,
Filipovic announced.
HRT director Ivica Vrkic said the HRT, as a public television,
represents "national and public opinion". In market competition,
it will not deprive anybody of anything, nor obstruct competition,
he said, adding the HRT only wants to fulfil its obligations towards
subscribers.
Subscription fees alone are not sufficient for HRT's functioning,
so money has to be made through marketing which, Vrkic said, has
been hurt by the recent time-limit for commercials. He also
announced further rationalisation inside the HRT.
HRT Council member Jadranka Kosor said the Council will suggest the
passing of amendments to the Telecommunications Law at the
parliament's autumn sitting. She pointed out the HRT Council was
unanimous in its agreement that in the process, HRT employees
should not be dismissed nor the subscription fee raised.
"HRT financing should be implemented via subscription fees and
limited marketing, so as not to damage competition on the part of
private televisions," Kosor said.
According to Vinko Grubisic, co-owner of private television OTV,
the reduction of commercials on HRT to four minutes per hour is the
only possible way for private commercial televisions to exist.
Grubisic believes it is necessary to set rules of market
competition, with on one side the HRT, which he says must rid itself
of "veiled commercialisation", and other commercial televisions on
the other.
According to Tomislav Marcinko, one of the founders of NOVA TV, a
privately-owned television which has recently been granted a
nation-wide concession, the HRT should pursue its transformation
into a "genuinely" public television. This, he believes, would
increase competition and result in a better programme.
Marcinko pointed out however that the recent concessions did little
to increase competition. He was worried that some political parties
had reacted negatively to the launching of NOVA TV.
(hina) ha