HRT spokeswoman Dorotea Lazanin-Jelenc would neither confirm nor deny this information to the news agency Hina, reiterating that the national broadcaster was not running from its mistakes but that it would not argue about them through the other media.

Latin posted on Facebook that the HRT management had decided to take Kusec, Renic and him off the late evening news because of Tomasic's appearance on Sunday.

Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic yesterday criticised the HRT for enabling Tomasic to spread chauvinism and hate speech. The HRT responded that such criticism constituted unacceptable pressure on the media and that it did not run from its mistakes.

Novokmet today dismissed Kusec, Renic and Latin, telling the press: "We stick by what we said yesterday, that we object to pressure and that we will handle internal problems internally."

Following Tomasic's statements in Sunday's HRT late evening news, the Electronic Media Council launched proceedings to establish if the HRT breached the Electronic Media Act provisions which ban the inciting and spreading of hatred or discrimination on any grounds. Such breaches envisage fines. The Council requested the HRT to take a position within 24 hours on Tomasic's intolerant statements.

In parliament today, part of the opposition saw the dismissal of Latin, Kusec and Renic as a consequence of "Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic's pressure on the HRT."

Jasen Mesic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said the government exerted "unprecedented pressure on the HRT" yesterday and that he was not surprised by the dismissals, saying it was "a clear message that a critical tone regarding the prime minister and the government won't be tolerated on the HRT."

He said the HRT editor-in-chief was appointed by outvoting, which "promotes political conformism and sends a clear political message regarding freedom of speech and independence of the media." Mesic added that "the same thing happened with Hina, where the spokeswoman of a political party participating in the coalition was appointed (the news agency's) director."

Dinko Buric of the Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) said this was a "return to communist censorship."

Branko Vuksic of the Labour Party described Milanovic's statement yesterday as "a classic own goal" which compromised the HRT editors.

Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) reproached the MPs for not reacting "to earlier replacements on the HRT nor launching a debate on the situation in the media" in which he said there had been many examples of unprofessional and incorrect reporting.