The opposition accuses the government of using the new legislation as an instrument for having Croatian Radio and Television under control and to "etatize" the national broadcaster.
In this context, opposition deputies criticised the announced reduction by 25 percent of the monthly subscription fee to the HRT as an attempt to be able to punish the HRT leadership when it fails "to do what it is told to do" by the government.
On the other hand, HDZ representatives said the only intention of the new legislation was to bring order to the ruined relations in the HRT and render the broadcaster's operation in accordance with regulations.
The two bills to this effect were sent today into second reading.
"The bills are the response to the irresponsibility and chaos, uncontrolled spending of money, all of which has been caused by the existing law," Suncana Glavak of the HDZ told the committee's session.
HDZ deputies criticised the demand by the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) that the parliament should dissolve the entire HRT programmes council, adding that the HND "could not command over the parliament".
In the meantime, three council members resigned over the appointment of Hloverka Novak-Srzic as the acting director of Croatian Television (HTV) programmes. They highlight that the same council relieved Novak Srzic of her duty as the HTV news programmes editor in chief six months ago due to the national television's low ratings, only to give her the new appointment yesterday.
During today's session of the media committee, its chairman, Nenad Stazic of the SDP, said that Novak Srzic's appointment showed that "the government's threats are already yielding results".
The co-ordinating body of commercial media joined in the criticism of the draft legislation on the HRT.
Marjan Jurleka, the co-ordinator of commercial broadcasters, told reporters in front of the parliament today that the draft bills would additionally worsen the crisis in the media industry and undermine the viable pluralism of the media in Croatia.