Croatia: Three radio shows discontinued by public broadcaster

4 July, 2016 – Three radio shows, aired on the third channel of the public broadcaster Croatian Radio television (HRT), were terminated without any explanation, the Croatian Journalists Association (HNV) reported.

Two shows lead and organized by the full time employee Ljubica Letinic, this year’s winner of the HND award for best radio journalism, and the most popular show hosted by external associate Ivica Pretnjaca have been discontinued.

Drazen Miocic, the acting director of HRT’s programme, did not reply to queries from Express.hr journalists regarding the motives behind such decision.

HND, in its written reaction regarding the latest events at the Croatian radio, pointed its finger at the Minister of culture Zlatko Hasanbegovic. According to them, Hasanbegovice is the mastermind behind the “culturcide” of HRT.

HND also pointed out that changes at the public broadcaster are motivated by ideological differences between the conservative government and the liberal subdivisions and newsrooms at HRT.

Regional TV outlet N1 underlined that the three previous shows would be replaced with new ones that are more appropriate to the ruling elite ideology. Therefore, instead of one of the Letinic’s shows there would be a new one on Christian spirituality hosted by Vladimir Loncarevic.

Also the Croatians writers’ society condemned the recent trend of deep and substantial changes in the public broadcaster accusing the actual government of “silencing critical voices”.

The article was originally published by Mapping Media Freedom.