Law on the Croatian Radio-Television (2001) (English)
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CROATIAN PARLIAMENT

Pursuant to Article 89 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, I hereby adopt the

DECISION

ON PROCLAMATION OF THE LAW ON THE CROATIAN RADIO-TELEVISION

I proclaim the Law on the Croatian Radio-Television, passed by the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament, at its session held on 8 February 2001.

Number: 01-081-01-595/2

Zagreb, 26 February 2001

President

of the Republic of Croatia

Stjepan Mesic, signed

LAW

ON THE CROATIAN RADIO-TELEVISION

I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

(1) Croatian Radio-Television is a legal person, which has a status of a public institution, the organisation and operation manner of which shall be stipulated by this Law and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

(2) The founder of the Croatian Radio-Television public institution is the Republic of Croatia.

Article 2

(1) The name of the public institution shall be the Croatian Radio-Television.

(2) The abbreviated name of the Croatian Radio-Television shall be HRT.

(3) The seat of the Croatian Radio-Television (hereinafter: HRT) shall be in Zagreb.

Article 3

(1) The activity of the HRT shall be the production and broadcasting of radio and television programme.

(2) HRT shall exercise the activities as per Paragraph 1 of this Article through the production and broadcasting of three radio channels in three radio networks on the national level and in radio networks on the regional level (hereinafter: the Croatian Radio), and television channels in two television networks on the national level (hereinafter: the Croatian Television).

(3) HRT shall be obliged to provide programme contents about regional particularities in the programme realisation.

(4) HRT shall perform its activities as a public service only in the cases of natural disasters, epidemics, emergency situation or the state of war.

Article 4

(1) HRT shall have two organizational units: the Croatian Radio and the Croatian Television.

(2) The authorities of the organizational units in legal transactions and the special manner of running the business shall be determined by the HRT Statute, in accordance with the law.

II. PROGRAMME PRINCIPLES AND OBLIGATIONS

Article 5

(1) In its programmes, the HRT must satisfy the interests of the public on the national and local level, as well as take care of the balanced representation of the information, cultural, educational and entertaining contents.

(2) In the realization of the programme principles, the HRT shall particularly:

inform the public on political, economic, social, health, cultural, educational, scientific, religious, ecological, sporting and other events and phenomena in the country and abroad, as well as ensure open and free discussion on all the issues of public interest,

foster, encourage, produce, develop and/or co-produce all forms of domestic audio-visual creativity which contribute to the development of the Croatian culture, art and entertainment, as well as contribute to the international representation of the Croatian cultural identity,

produce and/or broadcast programmes intended for the education of children, youth and adults, as well as programmes of scientific contents,

produce and/or broadcast programmes intended for informing the members of the Croatian people outside the Republic of Croatia,

produce and/or broadcast programmes intended for informing the members of national minorities in the Republic of Croatia,

inform and educate the citizens to preserve the cultural heritage,

inform and educate the citizens on the protection of environment and promote their right to a healthy environment,

inform and educate the citizens on democracy and civil society,

transmit sporting events of interest for the public in the country and abroad,

produce and/or broadcast programmes with entertaining contents.

(3) The Government of the Republic of Croatia and the HRT shall regulate their mutual rights and obligations with regard to the programmes referred to in Paragraph 2, Sub-paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article, by a contract.

(4) The highest professional and ethical standards must be respected in the HRT programmes.

Article 6

In the realization of the programme, the HRT shall be obliged to:

contribute to the respect and promotion of the fundamental human rights and freedoms, democratic values and institutions, as well as promotion of the culture of public dialogue,

adjust the coverage of the information, cultural, educational and entertainment programme to the needs of the persons with impaired hearing and other persons with special needs,

respect the privacy, dignity, reputation and honour of the citizens, and especially of the children and youth,

foster the generally accepted social criteria.

Article 7

HRT shall be obliged to:

permanently, truthfully, integrally, impartially and timely inform the public on the events and phenomena of public interest in the country and abroad,

respect and encourage the pluralism of political, religious, world-view and other ideas, as well as make possible for the public to be acquainted with such ideas; HRT must not advocate the positions or interests of a certain political party in its programmes, nor any other individual political, religious, world-view and similar standpoints or interests,

impartially treat the political, economic, social, health, cultural, educational, scientific, ecological and other issues, providing for the equal confrontation of standpoints of different sources.

Article 8

In the HRT programmes, it shall be forbidden to:

encourage and spread national, racial or religious hatred, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, as well as stimulate discrimination or animosity towards individuals or groups because of their origin, skin colour, political conviction, world-view, health condition, gender, sexual orientation and other characteristics,

broadcast footage with immoral, and especially pornographic contents,

encourage violence and crime in any manner, or encourage the citizens, and especially children and youth, to use tobacco products, alcohol or drugs,

broadcast certain messages or influence the viewers or listeners, without their being aware of it, through the use of a technical device (e.g. broadcasting of pictures or sound of very short duration), without the knowledge of viewers or listeners,

broadcast teleshopping.

Article 9

(1) HRT shall provide for the use of the Croatian language and Latin script in radio and television programmes.

(2) HRT shall also promote creativity in the dialects of the Croatian language.

(3) The use of the Croatian language shall not be mandatory:

- if films and/or other audio and audiovisual works are broadcast in the original form,

- if musical pieces with the text partly or entirely written in a foreign language or script are broadcast,

- if the programmes are partly or entirely intended for the study of foreign languages and scripts.

(4) The use of the Croatian language shall not be mandatory in the programmes intended for informing the members of national minorities and ethnic communities.

III. PROGRAMME CONTENTS

Article 10

The majority of the broadcast featured, documentary and other television programme must be of the domestic and European production, in the proportion which does not neglect the Croatian programmes.

Article 11

(1) At least 10% of the total broadcast of the television programme, except for the information programmes, sporting events, games and commercials, the HRT shall order from independent production companies, i.e. it shall allocate at least 10% of the annual budget for the production of the television programme for ordering programmes from independent production companies.

(2) The programmes of independent production companies, i.e. the independent production companies which shall record the programmes as per Paragraph 1 of this Article shall be selected on the basis of public tenders.

(3) The criteria and procedure of selecting the programmes as per Paragraph 2 of this Article shall be stipulated by the HRT Statute.

Article 12

(1) The duration of advertising messages in every HRT programme shall not exceed 9 minutes per hour of the programme.

(2) Two or more advertising messages (advertising block) may be broadcast without interruption only between programmes.

(3) The information, religious, children's programes and programmes lasting less than 30 minutes shall not be interrupted by advertising messages.

(4) HRT shall not interrupt feature films with advertising messages.

(5) HRT shall be entitled to refuse broadcasting of advertising messages the content of which is contrary to the programme obligations, as determined by this Law, other regulations and the rules of advertising and promotion.

(6) HRT shall not broadcast advertising messages of political parties, religious communities and trade unions. The prohibition of the broadcast of advertising messages of political parties shall not apply in the period of electoral campaign.

(7) Concealed advertising messages shall be forbidden.

IV. TRANSPARENCY AND INDEPENDENCE OF WORK

Article 13

(1) The HRT shall promote public interests, take care of the interests of the public, as well as be responsible to the public, in its activity.

(2) HRT’s responsibility to the public, as well as the influence of the public to the HRT’s activity shall be exercised especially:

by the appointing procedure of the HRT Council, its public work and its task to represent and protect the interests of the listeners and viewers, with regard to creating, implementing and supervising the programme realisation,

through the HRT’s obligation to timely and truthfully inform the public on the performance of its activity, as well as the duty to inform the users of its services in an suitable manner on the conditions and manner of providing its services and other issues relating to the performance of the tasks for the purpose of which it was founded.

through its founder’s general role.

Article 14

(1) The HRT shall be independent in its activity.

(2) The HRT’s independence shall be reflected especially:

in the HRT’s right to independently perform its activity, for the purpose of which it was founded,

in the HRT’s right to independently, in accordance with the law, decide on the contents of its programmes, time of their broadcasting or transmitting,

in the HRT’s right to regulate, through the competence of its bodies and in accordance with the law, its internal organisation and the manner of work,

in the HRT’s right to, by its general acts, regulate the issues of receiving employees to work, as well as their rights and obligations, in accordance with the law and collective agreement.

(3) With regard to the issues as per Paragraph 2 of this Article, the HRT shall only be subjected to the supervision of the lawfulness of work by the authorised bodies.

IV. ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Article 15

The HRT bodies shall comprise:

the HRT Council,

the HRT Board of Management,

the Director of the HRT.

Article 16

(1) The HRT Council shall represent and protect the interests of the television and radio public in terms of the production and supervision of the programme.

(2) The HRT Council shall have 25 members.

Article 17

(1) One member each shall be appointed into the HRT Council, by:

Croatian Academy of Science and Arts,

Association of Universities,

Central Croatian Cultural and Publishing Society,

Croatian Emigration Institute,

Croatian Writers’ Guild,

Croatian Journalists’ Association,

Croatian Olympics Committee,

national minorities in the Republic of Croatia,

Catholic Church in the Republic of Croatia,

other religious communities in the Republic of Croatia,

trade union associations,

employers’ associations,

film professional associations,

drama professional associations,

fine arts professional associations,

musical professional associations,

associations from the Homeland War,

pensioners’ associations,

civil and ecological initiatives,

associations of consumers

youth associations,

peasants’ associations.

(2) The associations as per Paragraph 1 of this Article shall appoint their representatives into the HRT Council pursuant to the procedure stipulated by law and their statutes for the election of members of their management bodies.

(3) The Minister of Culture shall, upon the previously obtained opinion of the Minister of Justice, Administration and Local Self-government, establish the procedure, manner of election and appointment of representatives in the HRT Council, who are appointed by two or more associations, by his decision.

(4) Three members from among the respectable non-party public officials shall be appointed into the HRT Council by the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, with previously obtained opinion of a competent working body of the House of Representatives, by the Prime Minister and by the President of the Republic of Croatia.

(5) The HRT Council shall initiate the procedure of appointing the members of the HRT Council by addressing a public invitation at least three months prior to the expiration of mandate, compile the list of the appointed members, and forward it to the Minister of Culture. The Minister of Culture shall by a decision establish that the procedure of appointing the members of the HRT Council was conducted in compliance with this Law.

(6) New members of the HRT Council must be appointed until the expiration of the mandate of the HRT Council members from the prior composition.

(7) HRT Council shall be considered constituted once two thirds of the total number of the HRT Council members have been appointed.

(8) The candidates for the HRT Council shall be respectable public officials, who have distinguished themselves in the public life by advocating respect of democratic principles and the rule of law, the construction and improvement of the highest values of the constitutional system of the Republic of Croatia set forth by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, defense of human rights and freedoms, as well as protection of freedom of expression.

(9) The members of the HRT Council may not be representatives in the Croatian Parliament, nor other state officials.

(10) HRT employees may not be appointed to the HRT Council.

(11) The members of the HRT Council may not be the persons employed or performing any other activity in rival firms, i.e. the firms performing the activity of radio and television broadcasting, the members of their management or supervisory boards, or performing the tasks which could cause a conflict of interests.

Article 18

Mandate of a member of the HRT Council may cease before the expiration of the term to which he was appointed:

at his own request,

by submitting the resignation,

by ceasing of the membership in the association that appointed him,

by revoking the association or leader of the state power body that appointed him,

should he, by his work, severely, or on several occasions, violate the law and other regulations, which refer to the work and performance of activity of the HRT public institution,

in other cases stipulated by law and the Statute.

Article 19

(1) The HRT Council shall:

in accordance with the programme obligations propose, approve, monitor, evaluate and supervise the programme orientation of the radio and television channels;

give prior opinion to the HRT Board of Management on appointing and relieving of duty of the Director of HRT,

appoint and relieve of duty the Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Radio and Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Television, on the basis of a public tenders, with prior consent of the HRT Board of Management,

appoint and relieve of duty programme managers, upon the proposal of the Chief Programme Manager,

give its prior opinion on the proposal of the financial and business plan,

give its prior opinion on the HRT Statute,

give its prior opinion on the Rule Book on Labour,

give its prior opinion on other general acts regulating the programme issues,

establish the conditions and procedure for appointing the HRT Council members, in accordance with the law and the Statute,

adopt the Standing Orders on its work,

perform other tasks in accordance with the law and the Statute.

(2) The HRT Council shall regularly, and at least once a year, submit a report on its work and implementation of the programme orientations of radio and television channels to the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament.

(3) The HRT Council shall at least once a year inform the public on the implementation of the programme orientations of radio and television channels.

Article 20

(1) The work of the HRT Council shall be public.

(2) The HRT Council shall elect and recall the Chairman of the Council.

(3) The Chairman and the members of the HRT Council shall have a four-year mandate.

Article 21

(1) The HRT Council may establish Programme Councils as advisory bodies for the purpose of monitoring and improving particular programmes.

(2) The tasks and manner of work of the Programme Councils shall be established by the Decision on Establishment and the Standing Orders on the HRT Council’s work.

Article 22

(1) The HRT Council shall meet at least once a month.

(2) The HRT Council shall be effectively passing decisions if the sessions are attended by more than a half of the total number of members.

(3) Decisions shall be passed by the majority of votes of the present members of the HRT Council, unless otherwise stipulated by this Law.

Article 23

HRT shall be managed by the Board of Management which shall have its Chairman, Deputy Chairman and five members.

Article 24

(1) The HRT Board of Management shall:

adopt the Statute upon the Director’s proposal and with the prior opinion of the HRT Council,

decide on the disposal of property, in accordance with the law and the HRT Statute,

decide on the investments for the development of the institution, in accordance with the law and the HRT Statute,

adopt the development plan and the work programme, reflected separately for each organisational unit, and adopt business reports (realisations of the plan and programme) of those units,

adopt the financial plan and annual calculation,

monitor and control the lawfulness and successfulness of the work of the institution,

appoint and relieve of duty the Director of HRT on the basis of a public tenders,

appoint and relieve of duty the Assistant Directors on the basis of a public tenders, and upon the Director's proposal,

give its prior consent to the HRT Council, by which it determines that the procedure, conditions and manner of appointing the Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Radio and the Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Television, is conducted in accordance with this Law and the HRT Statute,

adopt general acts, except for those which are adopted by the HRT Council,

adopt the decision on the manner of collecting the fee,

regularly, and at least once a year, submit a report on its work to the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament,

adopt the Standing Orders on its work,

decide on other issues in accordance with the law, the Statute and Standing Orders.

(2) The HRT Board of Management shall make decisions by the majority of votes of the total number of its members.

Article 25

(1) The HRT Board of Management shall be appointed and relieved of duty by the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament.

(2) One member of the HRT Board of Management shall be appointed from among the HRT employees, and the remaining 6 members from among the economic, financial and legal experts, cultural workers and media experts.

(3) The HRT Board of Management’s member from among the HRT employees shall be proposed to the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament by the HRT Council of Employees, and the remaining members by the competent working body of the House of Representatives.

(4) A member of the HRT Board of Management may not be a state official, a person who performs a duty in a political party’s bodies or a person as per Article 17, Paragraph 11 of this Law.

(5) Members of the HRT Board of Management shall be appointed for the term of four years.

Article 26

A member of the Board of Management may be relieved of duty before the expiration of the term he was appointed to:

upon his own request,

by submitting a resignation,

by being relieved of duty by the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament,

should he, by his work, severely, or on several occasions, violate the law and other regulations, which refer to the work and performance of activities of the HRT public institution,

should he, by his work, cause a serious damage to the HRT,

in other cases stipulated by the law and Statute.

Article 27

(1) The Director of the HRT shall:

run the business of the HRT,

represent and act on behalf of the HRT,

propose to the HRT Board of Management the appointment of Assistant Directors, on the basis of a conducted public tender, and their relieving of duty,

perform other activities as well, in accordance with the law and the Statute.

(2) The Director of the HRT may suspend from execution the acts of the HRT Board of Management, should he consider them to be contrary to the law, and inform the Government of the Republic of Croatia thereof, within 24 hours.

(3) The Director of the HRT shall be responsible for the lawfulness and successfulness of the HRT work.

Article 28

A person who is a Croatian citizen, holds a university degree in social or other adequate orientation in accordance with the Statute, speaks English or another world language and has at least five years of working experience, may be appointed the Director of the HRT.

Article 29

(1) The Director of the HRT shall be appointed and relieved of duty by the HRT Board of Management, with the prior opinion of the HRT Council, on the basis of the conducted public tender.

(2) The Director of the HRT shall be appointed for the term of four years.

(3) The Director of the HRT may be relieved of duty before the expiration of the term he was appointed to by the HRT Board of Management, with the prior opinion of the HRT Council:

should he request so himself,

should he not proceed according to the regulations and general HRT acts,

should he unfoundedly refuse to execute the decisions of the HRT Council and the Board of Management, passed within the scope of their competence,

should he cause a serious damage to the HRT by his unconscientious and improper work,

should he frequently neglect of unconscientiously perform his duties, causing difficulties in the performance of the HRT activity.

(4) Before the decision on relieving of duty is passed, the Director of the HRT must be given the possibility to declare himself on the reasons for the relieving of duty.

Article 30

(1) The Director of the HRT, Assistant Directors of the HRT, the Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Radio and the Chief Programme Manager of the Croatian Television, programme managers, as well as other authorised persons shall, upon the invitation of the HRT Council and the HRT Board of Management, participate in their work, without the decision-making right.

(2) The persons as per Paragraph 1 of this Article, shall in the work of the HRT Council and the HRT Board of Management, be obliged to provide information, clarifications and professional explanations on the issues on the agenda.

VI. EMPLOYEES

Article 31

The general labour regulations and the collective agreement shall be applied to the legal status of the HRT employees, the conditions for starting a working relation, salaries and other issues not regulated by this Law.

Article 32

In the cases when the HRT performs its activity as a public service, pursuant to Article 3, Paragraph 4 of this Law, the employees shall not have the right to go on strike.

VII. GENERAL ACTS OF THE HRT

Article 33

(1) HRT shall have a Statute, which shall, in compliance with this Law, closely determine the organisation, powers and the manner of decision-making of certain bodies, as well as regulate other issues of importance for the performance of the HRT activities and its business.

(2) Apart from the Statute, the HRT shall have the Rule Book on Labour, the Code of Ethics, the Decision on the Manner of Collecting the Fee, as well as other General Acts, in accordance with this Law and the HRT Statute.

Article 34

The Rule Book on Labour shall regulate the manner of the employment of workers, the conditions and the manner of the employment of the outside associates, the status of the outside associates, the bodies deciding on the employment, the rights and obligations of the employees, the conditions and the manner of restriction of the right to strike, in order to ensure the performance of the HRT activities, as well as other issues regulating the position of the employees at the HRT, in the interest of the public.

Article 35

(1) The HRT Statute shall be passed by the HRT Board of Management, upon the proposal of the Director and with the prior opinion of the HRT Council.

(2) The House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament shall give its consent to the HRT Statute.

(3) Other general acts of the HRT shall be passed by the Board of Management, unless this Law or the Statute stipulate that they shall be passed by the Director of the HRT Council.

Article 36

(1) The Statute and other general acts of the HRT shall come into effect at the earliest on the day of their publication.

(2) The manner of publication of the Statute and other general acts shall be regulated by the Statute.

Article 37

HRT shall be obliged to make available to the public, in an appropriate manner, the provisions of the Statute and other general acts which regulate the work of the HRT while performing its activities as a public service.

VIII. PROPERTY OF THE HRT

Article 38

(1) The property of the institution shall be comprised of the means for work obtained from the founder of the HRT, acquired by provision of services and selling the products or obtained from other sources.

(2) The founder of the HRT, the Republic of Croatia, shall have 100% share in the means for work of the HRT.

(3) HRT shall receive revenue from:

radio and television fee,

production and/or broadcasting of commercials,

production and sale of audio-visual programmes (shows, films, series, etc.),

production of other programme services (teletext and similar),

production and sale of sound carriers, video and audio-visual tapes,

organisation of concerts and other events,

performing other activities stipulated by the Statute,

other sources in accordance with the law.

Article 39

(1) Owners of radio and TV receivers in the territory of the Republic of Croatia shall be obliged to pay the HRT a fee.

(2) The owner of a receiver shall be obliged to register the receiver with the HRT at the latest within 30 days from the day of acquisition of the receiver, and the owner shall be obliged to register the change of address, place of residence or seat at the latest within 15 days from the day of the change.

(3) The owner of a receiver shall not be obliged to pay the fee if he has de-registered the receiver.

(4) The amount of the fee shall be 1.5% of the average monthly net salary of the employees in the Republic of Croatia, on the basis of the statistical data for the previous year.

(5) The households owning one or more radio and television receivers shall pay the monthly fee determined in Paragraph 4 of this Article as if they had one radio or television receiver.

(6) Legal persons shall pay the fee for each registered receiver in the amount set forth in Paragraph 4 of this Article.

(7) The Government of the Republic of Croatia may determine privileges and exemptions from the payment of the fee by a decree.

(8) The Board of Management of the HRT shall determine the manner of collecting the fee.

Article 40

The means for work of the HRT Council and the Board of Management of the HRT, as well as the employees performing the professional, administrative and other tasks, shall be ensured by the HRT.

Article 41

If the HRT earns profit while performing its activity, that profit shall be used exclusively for the performance and development of the HRT activities, in accordance with this Law and the HRT Statute.

Article 42

(1) HRT shall be responsible for the obligations with its entire property.

(2) The Republic of Croatia shall, with solidarity and without limitations, be liable for the obligations of the HRT.

(3) The losses of the HRT shall be primarily settled from the HRT property, and only after that from the budget.

Article 43

HRT may not burden or take away immovable property and other property the value of which is higher than the value set forth by the HRT Statute, without the consent of the founder or the body determined by the founder.

Article 44

(1) No bankruptcy proceedings may be conducted over the HRT without the consent of the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament.

(2) If the Republic of Croatia fails to cover the losses within 90 days, or fails to pass a decision on the manner of covering the losses, the bankruptcy proceedings may be conducted.

Article 45

The competent ministries shall perform the supervision of the legality of the HRT operation and the general acts, unless otherwise stipulated by this Law.

IX. PENAL PROVISIONS

Article 46

(1) A fine in the amount of HRK 500.00 shall be imposed upon a natural or legal person for the offence of failing to register the receiver (Article 39, Paragraph 2) or using a de-registered receiver (Article 39, Paragraph 3).

(2) For the offence as per Paragraph 1 of this Article, the fine in the amount of HRK 2,000.00 shall also be imposed upon the responsible person within the legal person.

X. INTERIM AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 47

(1) HRT the Public Company, established pursuant to the Law on the Croatian Radio-Television ("Official Gazette", No. 28/90, 35/91, 33/92, 43/92 – cleared text, 94/93, 53/94, 24/96 and 145/98) shall continue with its work as the Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution.

(2) The Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution shall be divided to the Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution and Transmitters and Communications Trading Company, not later than on 31 December 2001.

(3) The Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution shall be divided into the Croatian Television Public Institution and the Croatian Radio Public Institution until 1 July 2002.

Article 48

(1) Funds, rights and obligations of the HRT Public Institution shall be divided to the funds of the Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution and of the Transmitters and Communications Trading Company, according to the state of the HRT Public Institution business records on 31 December 2000.

(2) Funds, rights and obligations of the HRT Public Institution shall be divided to the funds of the Croatian Television Public Institution and the Croatian Radio Public Institution, according to the state of the HRT Public Institution business records on 31 December 2001.

(3) The division balance sheet and the Act on Distribution of Funds, Rights and Obligations as per Paragraph 1 of this Article, shall be passed by the Board of Management of the HRT Public Institution, upon the proposal of the HRT Director, with the prior consent of the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament by 1 October 2001, at the latest, and the division balance sheet and the Act on Distribution of Funds, Rights and Obligations as per Paragraph 2 of this Article, not later than 1 April 2002.

(4) The Republic of Croatia shall keep the ownership of the 100% of shares of all the working means which shall, based on the Act of Distribution of Funds, Rights and Obligations, go to the Croatian Television Public Institution, the Croatian Radio Public Institution and the Transmitters and Communications Trading Company.

(5) A special law shall be passed for the privatisation of the capital of the Transmitters and Communications Trading Company, in any form.

Article 49

Pursuant to the Act on the Distribution of Funds, Rights and Obligations, the Government of the Republic of Croatia shall, not later than 31 December 2001, pass the necessary acts pursuant to which the Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution and the Transmitters and Communications Trading Company shall be entered into the court register, and, by 1 July 2002, all the necessary acts on the basis of which the Croatian Television Public Institution and the Croatian Radio Public Institution shall be entered into the court register.

Article 50

The Board of Management of the HRT shall be appointed within 30 days from the day of this Law coming into effect. The Board of Management shall, within the next 60 days, pass the HRT Statute, invite the tenders and conduct the procedure for the appointment of the HRT Director.

Article 51

The HRT Council shall be obliged to issue a public invitation for the appointment of the members of the HRT Council within 15 days from the day of this Law coming into effect.

Article 52

The HRT Council, The Director and the HRT Management, the HRT Supervisory Board and the chief programme managers of the Croatian Radio-Television Public Company, shall continue working until the appointment of the HRT Council, the Board of Management and the Director of the HRT, as well as the chief programme manager of the Croatian Radio and the chief programme manager of the Croatian Television of the Croatian Radio-Television Public Institution, in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

Article 53

The regional radio stations and regional television studios shall be the public media outlets of the HRT with a special task of promoting regional programmes and programmes in the languages of ethnic minorities in that area.

Article 54

(1) The frequencies for transfer and transmission of programmes in the third television network on the national level, that have existed prior to the coming into effect of this Law, shall be allocated to a concessionaire, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Telecommunications, at the latest within one year from the day of this Law coming into effect.

(2) Until the decision on the grant of the concession has been adopted, or until the expiry of the deadline from Paragraph 1 of this Article, the HRT shall produce and broadcast the programme in the third television network on the national level, in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

Article 55

The provisions of the Law on Institutions shall be applied to all relations which were not regulated by this Law.

Article 56

On the day of coming into effect of this Law, the Law on the Croatian Radio-Television ("Official Gazette", no. 28/90, 35/91, 33/92, 43/92 – cleared text, 94/93, 24/96 and 145/98) shall cease to be effective.

Article 57

This Law shall come into effect on the eight day from the day of its publication in the "Official Gazette."

Class: 612-12/00-01/04

Zagreb, 8 February 2001

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CROATIAN PARLIAMENT

Speaker

of the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament