According to media reports, the draft changes envisage allocating 3% of the money collected with licence fee to finance the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and 5% to "implement the public interest". RTV Slovenija would also lose its transmitting business, which would be transferred onto a new fully state-owned company.

The Democrats (SDS) said today the party supported the idea to allocate a part of the licence fee to finance other media outlets but would not comment any further before studying the proposal more thoroughly.

The Modern Centre Party (SMC) said that it had been acquainted with the possible changes to the RTV Slovenija act and had given its remarks.

It had told the ministry that when overhauling the act, both the national radio and television should be given more independence.

"The SMC considers the public RTV Slovenija a national asset and value, and its status and fate must be determined carefully ... The existing RTV Slovenija act does not fully reflect the current media situation, the needs of the public and the technological progress, so the SMC is in favour of its comprehensive overhaul."

Partial solutions are not acceptable because "any rash and hasty changes" to the functioning of the broadcaster could do more damage than good, the party said in reference to the announced financing of other media outlets from the licence fee.

The party would also like to see an analysis of the consequences of the changes proposed.

The head of the deputy group of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), Franc Jurša, said Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti and his team had presented the changes to the deputy group last week.

"He outlined possible reorganisation, but this is only the beginning of talks, not a concrete proposal being discussed by the coalition," Jurša said.

"As for the idea to allocate a part of the funds to the STA and local or regional media outlets of special importance, I would not comment," he said.

The NSi said that good and objective reporting was essential in a democratic society, and that special attention needed to be paid to the freedom of speech, independent journalism, unbiased reporting, media plurality and decent communication.

The party will assess the proposed changes in this context, it said.

The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) expressed concern earlier today about th media reports about the draft changes to the RTV Slovenija act.

It said the government was "obviously drafting the changes in secrecy and in haste", so it urged other opposition parties to back up its request for an urgent session of the parliamentary Culture Committee to discuss the planned changes. The SAB also wants a public debate on the matter.