Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) marked a dual historical milestone past Friday, May 15, commemorating a century of radio broadcasting operations and seven decades of television service. The public media organization anchored the observances around an ongoing corporate campaign titled «Forever First», which encompassed a schedule of specialized broadcasts, archival showcases, and public gatherings designed to underline the institution’s historical continuity as a public service provider. The date chosen for the central observances corresponded with the inaugural transmission originating from Zagreb in 1926, which was initiated by writer and announcer Božena Begović. On the day of the centenary, the network integrated its television and radio grids with live dispatches from various urban locations, culminating in a formal ceremony at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall. During the proceedings, management distributed the broadcaster’s annual accolades, including the Ivan Šibl Lifetime Achievement Award, and conducted a memorial segment dedicated to network personnel who lost their lives during the Homeland War.
A primary component of the anniversary programming strategy was the deployment of an archival initiative named «100 Moments to Remember». Executed across the network’s digital and traditional distribution channels, the project resurfaced historical broadcasts, prominent cultural events, and heritage entertainment formats that aired throughout the decades. Network representatives stated that this retrospective programming aimed to contextualize the media outlet’s historical influence on domestic society rather than merely repeating old material. The archival rollout generated measurable audience engagement, particularly with retrospective clips such as the 1989 Prljavo kazalište concert, the reception of the national football squad in 2018, and heritage drama series like Smogovci and Gruntovčani. According to internal metrics, a specific 1983 audio excerpt featuring sports commentator Mladen Delić accumulated over one million cross-platform impressions leading up to the anniversary.
Speaking during the central news program, Dnevnik, HRT CEO Robert Šveb outlined the core philosophy of the public broadcaster, drawing a clear line between the institution and commercial networks or global streaming platforms. He emphasized that the network’s mission focused entirely on qualitative, credible information, cultural preservation, and universal education, rather than profit maximization or algorithmic user retention on social networks. Šveb noted that while the tools and media environment changed drastically over the past century, the foundational idea of providing a stable platform for democratic dialogue and fostering the domestic creative scene remained unchanged.
The director general also addressed the long-term management of the network’s extensive audiovisual catalog, describing it as a national treasure that reflected the comprehensive history of the country. He noted that the ongoing task for the executive team involved the systematic digitalization of these historical assets to ensure they became fully accessible to younger generations. Šveb identified the transition from traditional linear channels to non-linear, on-demand digital platforms as the most significant challenge facing the broadcaster, asserting that establishing a strong presence on portable devices was vital to ensuring the long-term relevance, credibility, and future of public media services.
Despite the extensive archival programming, the network’s strategy faced distinct scrutiny from internal oversight bodies. Members of the Programming Council criticized the executive management for relying heavily on catalog reruns instead of commissioning and internally producing new, large-scale dramatic or cinematic works to mark the milestone. Critics pointed to the absence of modern equivalents to historical, big-budget successes like Glembajevi or Prosjaci i sinovi. Addressing the administrative feedback, Šveb stated that while praise was appreciated, constructive criticism was far more useful for analyzing audience habits and refining their public interest mandate. ‘A high-quality public media service would be even more necessary in the changing modern media landscape than it was during the previous century’, he concluded.
