PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE STARTS ON AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON CRO RADIO &

( Editorial: --> 8896 ) ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - The Parliament's House of Representatives on Thursday continued its debate on two draft amendments to the Law on Croatian Radio Television (HRT). One draft is by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the other by Croatian People's Party (HNS) representatives. The HDZ Bench proposes strengthening the realisation of public interests in the area of providing information, change of systems, increasing the Croatian Radio Television Council's responsibilities, as well as obligatory payment of subscriptions. According to the HDZ proposal, the HRT Council would have 22 members, nine MPs and 13 members from various scientific, cultural and other institutions. All members would be appointed and dismissed by the Croatian National Parliament. HDZ suggests that the Council, on the basis of a public appointment, instates and dismisses the position of Editor-in-Chief, on the recommendation of the HRT director. Editors-in-chief cannot be a political party official at the same time. HDZ also proposes the obligatory payment of subscriptions. HNS representatives judge that their draft amendment to the Law on HRT, supported with the signatures of 30 Opposition MPs, is the necessary minimum for the actual transformation from a state to public radio television and cancellation of the state's monopoly on Croatian Television. This draft is actually the text of a proposal offered by the group of broadcast journalists, Forum 21. HNS suggests that the responsibilities of creating and producing programmes be separated from management responsibilities. HNS proposes that the HRT council has 25 members, 9 MPs and 16 from public institutions. Those 16 would not be appointed by the Parliament. It also suggests that the editors-in-chief of the radio and television and other editors be chosen by the Council on the basis of public appointments, however without the recommendation of the directors but based on the opinions of HRT journalists. Those editors would not be members of political parties. The HDZ Bench and HNS representatives propose that HRT broadcast on two television channels in the future, which would open possibilities of the state issuing a broadcast licence for the current third channel. By the second reading, HDZ will work out a mechanism for protecting employees of the third channel. HNS suggests a public tender for the broadcast licence and proposes that this broadcaster should have the right to use the HRT infrastructure. (hina) jn mrb 231547 MET apr 98