LOWER HOUSE DISCUSSES ADVERTISEMENT TIME ON HTV

ZAGREB, Sept 29 (Hina) - Amendments to the Law on Telecommunications as motioned by MPs of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) would cement the Croatian Radio and Television's (HTV) monopoly, and commercial local televisions will hardly be able to survive, opposition MPs warned at Wednesday's discussion at the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives. President of the HDZ parliament bench, Vladimir Seks, who motioned the amendments, replied HDZ MPs would vote for their motion because it was in line with European standards, because it was fair, does not firm monopoly, does not jeopardise the interests of employees or functioning of local television stations. According to the amendments, motioned by Jadranka Kosor and Seks, time slots for advertisements on the first and second Croatian Television (HTV) programmes would increase from four to nine minutes per hour at the most, and on the third programme, 12 minutes per hour. The motion, Kosor said, was in accordance with recommendations of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Transboder Television, as well as with the practice of most European countries. She also stressed that an increase in time slots for advertisements was not meant to suffocate the business and work of other commercial televisions. According to her, the increase in ad time slots was necessary to prevent losses at the HRT. By some assessments, since the Law on Telecommunications was passed, the HRT lost about US$1.94 million a month. Kosor announced that by the second reading they would withdraw their request that the HTV broadcast so-called TV shop. Announcing they would vote against the motioned amendments, opposition MPs were unanimous in the stance that they were used to consolidate the HTV's monopoly to the detriment of commercial televisions. This is, Bozo Kovacevic of the Liberal Party (LS) bench "a postponed cancellation of commercial televisions". Opposition MPs warned about the weak control of the spending of funds being collected at the HTV. Mato Arlovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was interested in how one can talk about losses on the one hand and on the other introduce all-day programmes on all channels, build new studios etc. Vladimir Seks dismissed the opposition's assessments, stressing they were an election campaign agitation by opposition parties. He also stressed that decreasing advertisement time on HRT did not mean they would transfer to local television stations, because big companies wished to advertise on a national level. Although Seks announced that the HDZ parliament bench would vote for the motioned amendments, some HDZ MPs suggested shorter advertisement time slots on the first two channels, and one MP, Andjelko Gabric, held that the funds on the HTV was being transferred into private pockets without the control of the public. The Lower House also discussed motioned amendments to the Law on Service in the Croatian Armed Forces. The amendments stipulate changes to some ranks and a change in the dates of marking the Croatian Armed Forces Day. Instead of on May 28, the Croatian Armed forces Day is suggested to be marked on August 5, which is also the Homeland Thanksgiving Day. (hina) lml jn