“We share the concern for the livelihoods of about thirty of our colleagues, all well-respected media workers who have not breached any professional standards in their work,” the two organisations said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Announced as a major regional project based in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Una TV started operating last December. However, it is not broadcasting in Croatia because the management has failed to sign an agreement with any of the telecommunications operators.
The management has told the public that they had several meetings with the HT and A1 operators, but despite verbal promises, no deal was reached.
Una TV has been issued a broadcasting licence by the Croatian Electronic Media Agency, which indicates that there are no obstacles to its operation in Croatia.
Although the two telecommunications companies are privately owned and need not explain their business decisions, the HND and SNH believe that they should take into account the fact that journalism is a public good and that there is a justified public interest for the media content which for some reason citizens cannot consume. They said that they will ask HT and A1 to explain why Una TV cannot broadcast news programmes on their platforms despite the licence from the Electronic Media Agency.
Una TV is colloquially called “Dodik’s television” because its ownership is tied to Igor Dodik, the son of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. Our colleagues should not suffer the consequences of the publisher’s ownership structure. The only interest of the HND and SNH is in preserving jobs, because Una TV has been present in Croatia for nearly a year now, paying taxes, the HND and SNH said.
