A FORUM FOR A NEW TELEVISION

AIM ZAGREB, 11 November, 1997

The Croatian Television has to be transformed from state into public TV, impartial, unbiased and professional. We demand the elimination of the HTV monopoly and restriction of its propaganda so as to make it easier for private entrepreneurs to enter the audio-visual market - reads the proposal of the newly established "Forum 21", an association of journalists of electronic media, mostly former and present HTV journalists.

The association rose quite a lot of public dust: only a few days after Forum's first public meeting last week, a negative reaction of the state leadership ensued. The Forum 21 (21 stands for 21st century) also proposes a more liberal policy in the allocation of private TV and radio concessions/frequencies, with a larger share of foreign capital (from the present 25 percent to 49 percent) than is now envisaged by the Croatian law. The Forum thinks that a transmitting network should be isolated from the state-controlled radio and television system an become a service for all the interested parties, on the basis of market criteria. The Forum - which shall operate within the Croatian Journalistic Association - considers that there can be no forbidden subjects and journalists in either public or private electronic media, and demands freedom of trade union organization.

One of the most important of Forum members is Mirko Galic, recently appointed member of a three-member HRT management, former editor-in-chief of the magazine "Danas" and until recently "Vjesnik"'s correspondent from Paris. The surprise of media analysts was therefore greater as some of the Forum's demands undermine sources of the HTV's profit and its position, where he gets his pay. Cautious Galic replied that these are only ideas and a starting point in a discussion about the profession, that he has joined the Forum before he joined the HTV and that now he does not want to turn his back to his colleagues because of that.

Along with Galic, the Forum's driving force is the married couple Dubravko Merlic and Zeljka Ogresta. Former host of a popular show "Picture on Picture", which once people used to record so that it could be shown on programmes of independent Belgrade TV stations and the hostess of a much watched talk show lost their shows on the HTV last year. They have been complaining for some time that editors are keeping them on ice without any reason and despite their reputation. Members are also Mirjana Rakic, a foreign policy editor and the recipient of this year's life-achievement award of the Croatian Journalistic Association, Neda Ritz, editor in charge of selecting foreign documentary films and serials for the HTV. These two ladies are a rare connection with the pre-war television which - by striking an understandable compromise - they managed to outlive. Together with them is a number of journalists from Radio 101, a station which last week finally legalized its status: a five-year contract on the use of frequency was signed with the Ministry of Traffic and Communications.

The Presidency of the ruling party together with Tudjman, Susak, Granic and other most influential members, proclaimed the Forum's requests - "ungrounded". The HRT is a public enterprise responsible to the Parliament and similar to other European countries, its programme is determined by a Board composed of representatives of Parliamentary parties, national minorities and health, religious and cultural organizations, says the statement issued at the session of the Presidency.

Even superficial observers know that that HRT Board has no influence on the programme (not even formally, as it only has advisory powers). Incidentally, the majority of its members are from the HDZ. Tudjman's reply to the Forum is therefore interpreted as his support to the existing editorial team - which is personified by Hloverka Novak - Srzic, editor-in-chief, Obrad Kosovac, editor of the informational programme, Ivica Mudrinic, General Manager and the team from "Motrista" (A Look-Out), a late evening political magazine edited by Miljenko Manjkas, a former member of Tudjman's cabinet, who are all a thorn in the Forum's side.

Independent commentators also thinks that Tudjman does not dare attack the Forum team too strongly or openly as these are the people who enjoy the support of the international community (many of them spent some time in the USA, on study tours, while Radio 101 is looked upon favourably because of its struggle for a concession). The Forum members also have much success among the public and rank high on the popularity lists. Therefore, as a result of their initiative, a non-aggression act might possibly be signed: allowing Galic and his team to "soften" the TV programme by, for example, giving more space to the opposition accompanied by a somewhat more refined and sophisticated defence of Tudjman's policy, without questioning its foundations.

After all, the majority of Forum members are the children of the HDZ media policy: they were a generation which has replaced their predecessors from the late communist era. The Forum members, such as Denis Latin, Tihomir Ladisic, Oliver Drazic, Elizabeta Gojan, Silvana Menusic are the so called war generation. Their war reports did not go beyond the frameworks of the official state policy. Those were more skillfully prepared, washed reports occasionally with a more deadly nationalistic charge. They contributed to the national homogenization, avoiding any critical assessment of its negative consequences. They did not deal with the dark side of the war - people loosing jobs because of nationality, evictions, Croatian war crimes, etc. They avoided writing about the pressures the authorities exerted on the independent media as long as the authorities left them alone.

Consequently, quite a number of them left the HTV and joined a private TV network only when the authorities "crossed the line", i.e. when a different team took over in the HDZ bringing with it an even more suitable, next generation. Still, this experience probably helped them become more critical and belligerent. Some of them - like Branimir Bilic, host of TV Parliament, a show which once hosted even the Prime Minister Matesa - are taking a risk of losing their jobs on the HTV because of the Forum, but probably think that the foreign pressures exerted on the Croatian authorities because of the media represent an opportunity for them to improve their position.

This is how "Feral Tribune" commented on the establishment of the Forum 21: "There is an impression that electronic journalists, with the honourable exception of Radio 101, have remembered to join only when soup was being served which their unplugged colleagues from "a part of the press" have been keeping warm for them for full seven years". Papers under the HDZ influence, such as the "Vjesnik" and "Vecernji list", reacted to the appearance of the Forum reservedly with texts such as "The Functioning of the Electronic Media in Europe" - offhandedly giving examples of the replacement of this or that editor which was arranged by some party in these model democracies - or with rather harsh attacks, in which Carl Gustaf Stroehm, "the herald" of the Presidential Palace figured prominently: "Some are demanding a different television - but God knows, Croats might wake up one day and see that overnight they got a 'different' republic".

The fate of the Forum is still uncertain, but one thing is certain: in the past years the HDZ leaders have shown that they are aware of the power of television and how to use it. More sceptical observers think that they will allow only cosmetic changes - especially while Tudjman is running the state. The rejuvenation, limited modernization and democratization could bring them now a point or two with the international factors. There are many good TV professionals among the Forum members: their assistance to the HDZ faction leaders might be extremely valuable in the post-Tudjman era.

IGOR VUKIC