NEW TV DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES PROFESSIONALISM & HRT'S TRANSFORMATION INTO PUBLIC INSTITUTION

INTO PUBLIC INSTITUTION ( Editorial: --> 6977 ) OSIJEK, July 10 (Hina) - The newly-appointed director of Croatian Radio Television (HRT) Ivica Vrkic said on Friday he would pay special attention to professionalism as a guarantee to democratic thinking. Vrkic said high professionalism would also play an important role in HRT's transformation into a public institution "which will result in high-quality programme effects in serving the whole Croatian public". In a statement issued on the occasion of today's appointment, Vrkic said he would direct the HRT's activity towards presenting "timely and truthful information to the Croatian public about state policy, the domestic situation and Croatia's international position". He promised he would transform HRT into a public institution, work on "promoting Croatian culture, arts and sciences, focus on economic achievements and especially talking about the position of the Croatian man in society". The HRT's new programme orientation will start from "what we have done in Croatia", said Vrkic, and emphasised HRT's role both in the Homeland War and in peace-time. HRT will face a future in which Croatia confirms itself every day as a tolerant and democratic country, the newly-appointed director said. Vrkic expressed his gratitude to the ruling Croatian Democratic Union for suggesting him for the new duty, and to the Croatian National Parliament for confirming the appointment. Vrkic was born 1947 in Krcenik, eastern Croatia. He completed his studies at the Law Faculty in Osijek and the Faculty of Arts in Zagreb. He is married, with two children. Following his prominent participation in the Croatian Spring movement of 1971, Vrkic was without a job for three years and was banned from working as a professor. He was also a member of parliament, head of the Temporary Administration Office for the Re-establishment of Croatian Authority in the Danube River Region, director of the agency for facilitating real estate transactions, and deputy chairman of the National Trust Establishment Committee. Vrkic also wrote about literature and worked as a journalist. As an MP he was member of the HRT Council for several years. (hina) ha /mbr 102111 MET jul 98