MEDIA COMMITTEE REJECTS HRT STATUTE, ENDORSES BILL ON HINA

ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - The parliament's Media Committee on Friday refused to endorse a draft statute of the Croatian Radio Television (HRT) and recommended that the HRT's administrative council revise the statute in line with suggestions by the government and Committees on the Constitution, Rule Book and Political System, and Legislation. In a debate about the draft, the Committee warned about the need to change the Law on the HRT. Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) said one should respect the fact that the HRT was defined by law as a special public institution, which was why one should not insist on making regulations from its statute compatible to those of other public institutions. It became obvious in the process of drawing up the HRT Statute that the HRT Law allows a broad interpretation of some provisions, particularly those referring to the establishment of administrative and supervisory bodies, Pusic said. The law has to a great extent caused the latest problems in the HRT Council, whose chairman Ante Covic recently resigned, she said. The Media Committee supported, without major objections, a final bill on changes to the Law on Public Information, and a final bill on Hina. The bill on Hina, to be discussed by parliament today, should transform the state news agency into an independent public institution. (hina) rml