Theatre actor and MP, Vilim Matula, commented for N1 on Wednesday the decision announced by A1 telecom to cease distributing N1 television channel on March 29, and explained the stage that the adoption of a new media law is currently in.

“The law on electronic media has passed the first reading, and now we have the second reading, and I think that this situation that you (N1 television) are experiencing can serve as a concrete example which helps us see what exactly needs to be specified in the second reading so that things like this would not happen again,” Matula told N1 television’s Elvir Mesanovic.

Asked when the new law might be passed, Matula said that the Minister of Culture and Media, Nina Obuljen-Korzinek, said herself that she could not say exactly whether it would happen in two, three, four weeks or more. “But obviously, it should happen soon,” Matula said.

Matula also explained how exactly the new law on electronic media is meant to be improved.

“During the first reading, as it usually happens with political topics, a different issue was the focus of the discussion, the issue of violence and hate speech. This (situation with N1 television) will certainly shift the lawmakers’ focus, so we can think about whether vertical integration should be allowed by law and in what way, i.e. whether United Group can come here (to Croatia) via (mobile network provider) Tele2, so that it can distribute the content that you (N1) are producing”, said Matula.

“I can’t say what are the reasons why the law has not been passed earlier, but obviously, at this moment, when users are in danger of being left without a commercial broadcaster just before the local elections (in May) – which, paradoxically, provides real-time public service – it is time for the users to get the right thing for the right price. And that’s where politics is obliged to react,” Matula said.

He declined to comment on whether the upcoming local elections had anything to do with the current situation, i.e. A1’s decision to stop offering N1 television.

“I don’t want to fall into the trap of political conspiracy theories, but providers clearly can spot an opportunity to exploit a bottleneck and that it they can use that to put pressure on you. But I just heard your editor-in-chief (Tihomir Ladisic) saying N1 television is willing to provide their content temporarily for free. Now that makes me wonder which provider would at least temporarily still refuse to provide your channel. But of course, a new law is what’s needed here, and we are prepared to get that done,” Matula said.

Matula said that he, personally, would not mind if N1 was awarded a national free-to-air broadcasting license.

“Especially because the fact of the matter is that public broadcaster (HRT) simply does not have the capacity to match the pace of reporting of a commercial television, which provides that public service,” said Matula.

There is a “huge public interest” in resolving this situation, he added.

“In my opinion, and in the opinion of the viewers who follow you constantly, there is a huge public interest (in N1 programming). You are doing this best, at the moment, and I think that’s something that could encourage other media to take a similar route,” said Matula.

(Operating in Croatia as part of United Group are the telecom operator Telemach Hrvatska, as well as television channels and websites Sport Klub and N1, Nova TV, Doma TV, and Dnevnik.hr.)