The 1933 Media Licensing Act was a sweeping piece of legislation proposed by the government of RPP leader Filip Novak and subsequently ratified by the Assembly.
Passed in the chaotic period preceding the National Security Act, the Act nationalized the nascent radio industry and established the Media Licensing Authority (MLA) under the Council for Education. It created the legal framework for state censorship in the Divine Republic, transforming the media from a chaotic private marketplace into a regulated arm of the state.
Background
The Radio Boom
By the early 1930s, radio technology was spreading rapidly. Private transmitters in Novi Otonik and Bistrica were broadcasting everything from unauthorized music to political critiques.
Security Concerns
The government was alarmed by the use of radio by BRC-21 to coordinate the 1931 Vijrje Attack. Furthermore, the rise of the liberal Civic Renewal Front (CRF) in the 1932 election threatened the RPP’s control over the narrative. Novak argued that the airwaves were a “national resource” that could not be left to “seditionists and foreign agents.”
Key Provisions
- Creation of the MLA: The Act established the Media Licensing Authority, a body empowered to grant, suspend, or revoke the right to publish or broadcast. Operating without a license became a felony.
- Nationalization of Radio: All private radio infrastructure was seized by the state. These assets were consolidated into Radio Kresimiria (the precursor to TRK), which was given a monopoly on news broadcasts.
- “Moral Standards”: The Act codified the censorship rules based on Article 39 of the Constitution, banning content that “undermined public order” or “offended Divine sensibilities.”
The Act passed 13-5.
| Senator | Vote |
|---|---|
| Ana Kovacevic (RPP) | For |
| Filip Novak (RPP) | For |
| Mil Vucic (CRF) | Against |
| Luka Matar (RPP) | For |
| Eward Matek (CRF) | Against |
| Marija Sarislav (RPP) | For |
| Antonio Iric (BPP) | Against |
| Sara Unalina | For |
| Nika Radman (RPP) | For |
| Zoran Banit (RPP) | For |
| Toni Uzela (RPP) | For |
| Mia Colak (CRF) | Against |
| Vlade Koci (CRF) | Against |
| Matej Marij Mihaljevic (SoK) | For |
| Rod Blakojevic (SoK) | For |
| Marin Lurcic Grubisic (SoK) | For |
| Ivan Franj (RPP) | For |
| Kresimir Basic (SoK) | For |
| Adin Vedran | - |
| Josipa Vukel | - |
Impact
- Consolidation: The independent press in the provinces largely collapsed. Only publications that aligned with the state, such as the Sinj Herald (later Kresimirian Herald), received licenses.
- Resistance: The Act spurred the creation of underground media. In the north, the Pulma Press (precursor to Northfocus) began operating clandestine printing presses to bypass the MLA.
- Modern Legacy: The MLA remains the primary censor of the Republic. While its grip loosened in the 1970s (allowing the Civic Post), it regained power in the 2010s to police the internet under the Digital Vigilance Act.