(Photo: Vlada Republike Hrvatske)

ZAGREB, 17 May (Hina) – Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) marked the 100th anniversary of Croatian Radio and the 70th anniversary of Croatian Television on Friday with a gala concert held at Zagreb’s Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall.

Among those attending the event was Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who described HRT as “not just a media outlet, but part of the identity and culture of the Croatian people”.

Plenković highlighted HRT’s role during the Homeland War, saying the broadcaster played a key role in informing citizens during wartime and standing alongside the Croatian people during difficult periods. He also pointed to HRT’s importance during the coronavirus pandemic and after the earthquakes that struck Zagreb and the Banovina region.

The Prime Minister praised HRT’s symphony, jazz and tamburica orchestras, as well as its choir, describing them as important contributors to Croatian culture. He also stressed the need to continue digitising archives and making content more accessible to younger audiences.

Speaking about the modern media environment, Plenković warned of the growing spread of manipulation, false information and distorted narratives in the digital space. He said public media services have an important role in strengthening democracy, education, social cohesion and resilience against disinformation.

HRT Director General Robert Šveb said the broadcaster, one of Europe’s oldest public broadcasting services, was marking 100 years since its first radio signal in 1926.

Šveb said HRT faces major challenges in a digital environment increasingly dominated by global platforms and algorithms. He said the broadcaster must continue developing into a multimedia digital public service while adapting to changing audience habits without abandoning its core values.

He added that public broadcasting should be measured not only by ratings, but also by public trust.

“The trust we had during these first hundred years cannot simply be inherited – it must be rebuilt every day,” Šveb said.

Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek described HRT as a guardian of Croatian identity and emphasised the importance of ensuring its transformation in the evolving digital environment.

Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs reflected on his earliest memories of HRT, including black-and-white television sets and children’s programmes such as Mendo i Slavica, highlighting the broadcaster’s long-standing place in everyday life in Croatia.

HRT was founded in 1926 with the launch of Croatian Radio, while Croatian Television began broadcasting in 1956. Today, the public broadcaster continues to operate television, radio and digital platforms as part of Croatia’s national public media service.

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