CENTRIST OPPOSITION PARTIES REQUEST CROATIAN TV SECOND PROGRAMME

ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - Four central opposition political parties on Tuesday requested a parliamentary discussion on their proposal to take over the second channel of the state Television and Radio. Presidents of the HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party), the HSS (Croatian Peasants Party), the HNS (Croatian People's Party) and the IDS (Istrian Democratic Party) forwarded into parliamentary procedure the draft of their bill on ammendments to the Croatian Law on Radio and Television, which proposes the divison of Croatian Television (HRT) channels between the ruling party (HDZ - Croatian Democratic Union) and the opposition, on the model of the Italian RAI state television. "Our aim isn't to create another party television, but an objective one", the president of the HSLS, Vlado Gotovac, told reporters in Zagreb. "We don't see this as a final solution, but one step in the creation of a completely free and professional television, like the BBC", Gotovac said, adding that today "the HDZ's interests on the HRT equal state interests." Today's initiative by the opposition would, according to Gotovac, also settle the issue of insufficient media freedom in Croatia, especially on the HRT. (HINA) HA 212326 MET oct 97