Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee for Information, Informatization and Media held a session on the future of Croatian Radio Television (HRT) on Thursday, but no conclusions were reached.
A continuation of the debate was announced regarding the opposition's proposals for the cessation of staff reductions and the implementation of the HRT Consolidation Plan.
"The conclusion is that we are witnessing the systematic collapse of HRT, a reduction in the production of its own programming, the outflow of the best staff without any plan for their replacement, and the neglect of the valuable HRT orchestras and choir," said Committee vice-chair Urša Raukar-Gamulin of the opposition We Can!, who proposed the session.
Regarding the Consolidation Plan, she said it was written generally, that it was "bad" and that if its implementation was not stopped, "the survival of the HRT as a public service is questionable."
She said the haphazard reduction of employees and the implementation of the Consolidation Plan must stop, that it was necessary to determine which staff were surplus or lacking, and ensure an adequate number and structure of employees for the purpose of delivering high-quality programming.
She proposed the creation of a five-year strategy for improving the HRT’s programming, which would include a programming schedule, human resources policy and digitalisation.
The opposition proposed the creation of a consolidation plan based on this strategy, and called for amendments to the HRT Act, alignment with the European Media Freedom Act, ensuring financial stability and removing plans to abolish the HRT choir and orchestras.
Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said "there is no talk of abolishing the orchestras. The law currently requires the HRT to have ensembles, and that will remain in the law we propose."
Regarding claims that the HRT Consolidation Plan was written generally, without any analysis or collaboration, she said "it is not true that this was done behind closed doors. This entire process lasted much longer than the development of the Consolidation Plan we adopted in February."
HRT Director-General Robert Šveb said the main goal of the leadership was "to regain relevance" and commented on the HRT's current status in European terms.
"We can still be very proud of our Croatian Radio Television, as it still belongs to the group of better or best public media services in Europe," he said, adding that this is supported by data from the European Broadcasting Union, which shows that the HRT’s audience reach is 62.5%, while the average reach of other broadcasters in the EU is 53%.
Maja Sever, president of the European Federation of Journalists and the Croatian Journalists' Union, criticised Šveb for the departure of staff. "People who built and maintained the HRT's standards are leaving... because they cannot bear this torment and the dismantling of what should be a public media service."
She said the Consolidation Plan did not bring "concrete reforms" and added, "We will not be silent and we will build a defence front against the destruction of the HRT."
HRT Supervisory Board member Dario Špelić warned about the mounting losses at the HRT, while Stipe Alfier spoke about the history of political pressures on the HRT.
"Our conclusion will be that we will monitor what happens with the HRT Consolidation Plan. One part of the conclusions is unacceptable to us," said Committee chairman Josip Borić of the ruling HDZ, adding that this primarily refers to the opposition's conclusion about the "systematic collapse of the HRT."