JOURNALISTS COMMENT ON ROLE OF HTV IN ELECTION

ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Television is the main lever of the current authorities and if there are to be no changes, the campaign in the run-up to the election will be unequal, said journalists who took part in Friday's public panel organised by "Forum'99" on the role of the Croatian Television (HTV) in the election. Mirko Galic, a former HTV Management member and since recently the editor-in-chief of all publications of Europa Press Holding, and three HTV journalists - Branimir Bilic, Luka Mitrovic and Ivo Loncar - participated in the panel. Galic cautioned that the HTV's manipulating role should be restricted in the run-up. He fears, however, it would be difficult to achieve considering the composition of the HTV Council and HTV leading persons who are also senior officials in the ruling party, Galic added. According to him, the main hurdle are the HTV policy which makes it possible to buy television time and broadcasting of the so-called sponsored programmes. "This political advertisement creates inequality, as rich parties have advantage," Galic stressed. The HTV news programme does not present the truth. It regularly does not give information and sugar-coat it, Bilic said. Mitrovic said the chief programming orientation of the HTV is censorship. Ivo Loncar described the editorial staff of the flagship news programmes "Dnevnik" and "Motrista" as biggest manipulators. "They don't speak about failures of authorities, but we can hear about internal and foreign enemies every day," Loncar added. (hina) jn ms