RADIO LABIN LIQUIDATED TOO

AIM Zagreb, February 20, 1996

"I think the situation here is even worse than in Belgrade. In Belgrade, you have at least some independent media". This is how the famous donator George Soros assessed the situation with the media in Croatia during his recent visit.

Whether Mr Soros has somewhat exaggerated in his ranking of the general situation of media in Croatia could be a subject of discussion, but had he been more precise and had he talked only about the most influential, electronic media, "the most democratic of all post-communist countries" as its President likes to call it, would prove to be, even in comparison with Serbia - below the limit. International Press Institute seated in Vienna, in its last year's report which analyzes freedom of the media in more than a hundred countries of the world, did not hesitate to assert that in respect to monopolization and manipulations by means of state controlled television, Tudjman has exceeded Milosevic.

In this, probably the most sensitive segment of the sphere of the media - electronic media - Croatia is actually in the worst situation of all post-Yugoslav states. Not only is the Croat infrastructure when speaking of privately-owned and independent electronic media still in its infancy, as opposed to other ex-Yugoslav environments which have after all managed to create an imposing number of various (dependent, quasi-independent, but also truly independent) radio and television stations, but it seems that chances are poor that any significant shifts will be made in the foreseeable future.

Indeed, by means of the new Law on Telecommunications, which introduces (political) order in the "wild" media space is under way in Croatia right now. What its results and intentions are is perhaps best illustrated by the case of Labin Radio "Art Express" which was after more than two years of successful broadcasting, deprived of its channel and condemned to silence.

International Federation of Journalists assessed this "gentle" grasp of Croat authorities, which was legalized by a public competition, as an attempt to close down the only independent radio station in Croatia, and deputy Secretary General of this organization which gathers about 400 thousand journalists from all over the world, Bettina Peters, appealed to all those who believed in freedom of the public word to help this radio station survive.

The dramatic tone and even exaggerated epithets about "the only independent and critical radio station in Croatia" are in fact congruent with the unscrupulous decision of the Croat authorities to cut up everything that was even slightly more liberal than it considered fit, by using its new Law on Telecommunications.

Kresimir Farkas, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Labin-Art Express, says: "There is no doubt that we were in their way although we were not a political radio. It is hard to accuse us of being enemies. We are even worse than that. We are quite normal, and more and more people are listening to us. Especially young people. The radio was made for them, and kids are actually making the program. However, I think the authorities are not even capable of understanding this subversion of normality. Other mechanisms were triggered off. Namely, they realized that radio waves can bring a handsome income and the HDZ mafia is distributing channels among themselves according to the slogan: propaganda for the authorities - profit for us". It is all that simple, filthy and successful. In politicizing the freedom of the media, this business aspect was neglected so far, and Farkas, for instance, claims that even some of the state-owned channels in Rijeka and Pula will be given to private-owners belonging to the ruling Croat Democratic Community (HDZ).

The radio channel taken away from Art-Express was assigned to a phantom radio backed up by FFI-Commerce Enterprise. Although it does not possess the equipment necessary for a radio station and production of a radio program, Farkas claims that they have very good connections with the HDZ and even publicly brag about it, if anyone asks them how they managed to accomplish what a well run-in radio station with a large auditorium such as Art-Express could not

• get a channel.

Nevertheless, combatants from FFI-Commerce seem to have overestimated their possibilities, at least at the moment. In order to start broadcasting a program, equipment is necessary, and it can be obtained along with a permit and channel allocated by the Ministry of Comunications, Transportation and Maritime Affairs. They tried to solve this problem elsewhere - by breaking into the apartment of Dean Zahtila, Director of Radio-Labin-Art Express. Without success. Not only did they fail to find the transmitter, but Labin police which quite certainly is not in jurisdiction of the mentioned Ministry, professionally and efficiently resolved the case and arrested housebreakers from FFI-Commerce, and brought charges against them for breaking into the apartment.

Unfortunately, this does not resolve the essential issue. Labin has remained without its radio station and with no prospects to get it in near future. Middle of February was the time limit for those who were given channels and permits for broadcasting to organize their programs or free the channels for someone else. However, as Farkas says, the Law is a "masterpiece" and can be interpreted anyway you like - but the channel slips out of your hands however you interpret it.

Similar is the case with Croat policy which had fair-play in the sphere of the media imposed on it as a condition for joining the Council of Europe. What that fair-play is like is best illustrated by the fact that vice premier of the Croat Government and Minister of external affair, Dr Mate Granic has once offered guarantees to Ms. Jane Disdale, Director of the Human Rights Department of the Council of Europe, that the existing radio stations in Croatia would not be interfered with in any way and that they would keep their permits for broadcasting. But, that is not all. Croat ambassador in European institutions in Bruxelles has also given specific guarantees for Radio Labin that noone would tamper with it. What is more, towards the end of last year, from the office of the Minister of communication, transportation and maritime affairs Ivica Mudrinic (now Director of Croat Radio and Television) assurances arrived that everything would be alright with Radio Labin.

It is true, matters were quickly put in order. In mid January this year, an irrevocable order arrived from that very same Ministry that Radio Labin-Art Express had to stop broadcasting because it had not been allocated a channel and a permit. So much for Europe. To a polite question put by the International Federation of Journalists on the reasons why Art Express had been deprived of its permit for broadcasting, Minister Mudrinic himself, also politely, answered that "concessions were allocated to the groups which made the best offers". Two years of work, popularity, highly informative program (e.g., transmission of information programs made by BBC and Deutsche Welle) were not sufficient to outplay the group from FFI-Commerce, which for the time being has the channel - and nothing else.

Is there any chance for Radio Labin to survive? "Yes, there are certain cosmic possibilities - Farkas says - We wish to believe that the Council for Telecommunications will reconsider its decision and realize that phantom projects cannot make a program. However, if our expectations prove to be vain, we have the support of the Councul of Europe to broadcast via a satellite".

To a remark that a permit of Croat authorities is necessary for that too, Farkas says: "Precisely, but I am curious to know what arguments this demand will be rejected with, since we would be the only such project in Croatia".

Croat President Tudjman has allegedly declared that he would beforehand, without even asking to see them, sign all demands coming from the Council of Europe, just in order to have Croatia finally accepted as a permanent member. People from the International Federation of Journalists believe that Radio Labin-Art Express will be on the list of these demands. Sceptics say - on the list for liquidation.

STOJAN OBRADOVIC