RADIO LICENCE PROBLEM SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Telecommunications Council on Wednesday granted a frequency licence to Radio Globus 101, which was also sought by two more radio stations, Radio 101 and Zagrebacki Krugoval. Radio 101 editor in chief Zrinka Vrabec-Mojzes told a news conference, which Radio 101 broadcast live, that the Council decision "is not professional but political." She announced that Radio 101 would fight against the decision with all legal means. Radio 101 has received messages of support from numerous citizens, journalists and political parties and trade unions. The president of the city committee of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Zlatko Canjuga, told Radio 101 that the presidency of the HDZ city committee had concluded this summer that there were no political obstacles preventing Radio 101 from being granted a licence. "It's not good or advisable to disturb citizens at this moment as some opposition leaders are doing," Canjuga warned. He stressed that problems related to this licence should be rosolved by agreement. Nino Pavic, director of "Europa Press Holding", one of the owners of Radio Globus 101, said that he would renounce the licence, Radio 101 reported in the evening. "Reporters Sans Frontieres" on Wednesday protested against the Telecommunications Council's decision, demanding that everything be done to make it possible for Radio 101 to continue its work freely. The US administration described the decision as "a signficant setback for democratization and free expression in Croatia." "Unless the Government of Croatia acts quickly to assign Radio 101 another comparable frequency, this decision (...) will mean the loss of a principal voice of independent news and opposition viewpoints in Croatia," the State Department said in a statement. "This issue will have a high priority on our bilateral agenda with Croatia," it said. (hina) as vm mm 202314 MET nov 96