HRT International
Product brand
UnclaimedHRT International is the international television service of Croatian Radiotelevision serving Croatian audiences and diaspora communities outside Croatia.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
HRT International is the overseas television service of Croatian Radiotelevision, Croatia's public broadcasting organization. The service is designed primarily for Croatians living abroad and for international viewers interested in Croatian news, society, culture and tourism. Its principal target regions are Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, reflecting the geographic distribution of Croatian diaspora communities. The service began broadcasting in 1991 under the name HRT Sat. During its early development it was also identified as HRT - Satelitski program. The channel initially relied on satellite distribution and later moved from analog to digital transmission, completing that transition in 1998. In the early 2000s it became available through digital free-to-air satellite distribution on Hotbird 13E, having previously been carried on Hotbird 5. Distribution arrangements subsequently varied by market and platform. From February 2005, the North American signal became encrypted when HRT joined the GlobeCast World TV platform. HRT's international offering was supplemented for a period by Slika Hrvatske, a separate international channel that broadcast an eight-hour programming block to Europe before repeating it for North America and Oceania. That service operated until 2016. Its existence illustrates the broader international strategy of packaging Croatian programming for audiences in different time zones and diaspora markets. A major relaunch took place in late 2017 and early 2018. Under an agreement concluded between Croatian Radiotelevision and the Government of Croatia in September 2017, HRT developed a new international channel branded HRT 5, also referred to as HTV 5. HRT was responsible for 70 percent of the programming produced for the new service. Test transmissions began in December 2017, first on Eutelsat 16B and later on Hotbird 13C. Regular broadcasting began on 1 January 2018. At launch, HRT 5 included news bulletins in German, English and Spanish, along with programming focused on tourism and Croatian communities abroad, including Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The channel's distribution on Hotbird became official in April 2018 through a multi-year agreement with Eutelsat. On 1 January 2019, the service adopted the name HRT International without a reported change to its content concept. The rebranding established the current identity while retaining the channel's role as an international window into Croatian public-service broadcasting. The service entered another technical phase in January 2021, when it began broadcasting in high definition. The European standard-definition signal was discontinued on 1 April 2021. On 1 January 2023, distribution on Hotbird 13C ended and the service moved entirely to Eutelsat 16A. HRT International therefore combines a diaspora-oriented editorial mission with satellite distribution and multilingual programming intended to make Croatian public broadcasting accessible beyond the domestic market.
History
HRT International originated in 1991 as HRT Sat, the international satellite television service of Croatian Radiotelevision. It was also known during part of its earlier history as HRT - Satelitski program. The service was established to make Croatian public broadcasting available to viewers outside Croatia, particularly Croatian diaspora communities in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Its early distribution was satellite-based, and the channel completed a transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 1998. The service's satellite footprint and platform arrangements developed over time. At the beginning of 2002, it was added to the digital free-to-air package on Hotbird 13E, replacing its earlier association with Hotbird 5. In February 2005, the North American signal became encrypted after HRT joined the GlobeCast World TV platform. These changes reflected the different technical and commercial conditions involved in serving overseas audiences across multiple regions. HRT also operated a related international offering called Slika Hrvatske. It broadcast an eight-hour daily block to Europe and repeated that block for viewers in North America and Oceania. Slika Hrvatske continued until 2016, when HRT's international television strategy was later reshaped around a new version of the main international service. In September 2017, Croatian Radiotelevision and the Government of Croatia reached an agreement that led to the creation of a revised international channel. HRT began testing the service in December 2017 under the HRT 5 name, also styled HTV 5. Initial tests used Eutelsat 16B and Hotbird 13C, with the latter carrying actual programs from 28 December 2017. Regular broadcasting began on 1 January 2018. HRT was assigned responsibility for 70 percent of the programming produced for the new channel. The new service combined international news with programming intended to present Croatia to overseas audiences. Launch content included bulletins in German, English and Spanish, tourism programs and material about Croatian diaspora communities, including Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In April 2018, the Hotbird distribution arrangement was formalized through a multi-year agreement with Eutelsat. On 1 January 2019, the channel was renamed HRT International. The rebranding did not change the stated content concept, but it replaced the HRT 5 identity with a name that more directly described the service's international role. The channel later adopted high-definition transmission on 12 January 2021. The European standard-definition feed was switched off on 1 April of that year. The most recent distribution change documented in the reference material occurred on 1 January 2023, when transmission on Hotbird 13C ended. HRT International then moved entirely to Eutelsat 16A. Across its history, the service has remained a specialized international television product of Croatian Radiotelevision, combining Croatian public-service content with multilingual news and programming for audiences outside the country.
- 2023
Moves entirely to Eutelsat 16A
[1]The service ends its Hotbird 13C distribution and moves entirely to Eutelsat 16A.
- 2021
High-definition broadcasting begins
[1]HRT International begins HD transmission, followed by the shutdown of its European SD signal.
- 2019
The service becomes HRT International
[1]The channel adopts its current name on 1 January without a reported change to its programming concept.
- 2018
HRT 5 starts regular broadcasting
[1]The redesigned international service starts broadcasting on 1 January, with multilingual news and Croatia-focused programming.
- 2018
Hotbird distribution is formalized
[1]HRT confirms the Hotbird distribution of the international service through a multi-year Eutelsat agreement.
- 2017
Testing begins for the HRT 5 service
[1]HRT begins testing a new international channel version under the HRT 5 or HTV 5 identity.
- 2016
Slika Hrvatske service ends
[1]The related international channel Slika Hrvatske ceases broadcasting after serving Europe, North America and Oceania.
- 2005
North American signal becomes encrypted
[1]The North American transmission is encrypted after HRT joins the GlobeCast World TV platform.
- 2002
Added to the Hotbird 13E digital free-to-air package
[1]The international service becomes available through Hotbird 13E's digital free-to-air package.
- 1998
Transition to digital broadcasting
[1]The channel completes its transition from analog to digital transmission.
Products and positioning
A Croatian public-service international television channel connecting Croatia with diaspora audiences and other viewers abroad through news, tourism, cultural and community-focused programming.
International television channel · 1991
HRT International
The core international television service of Croatian Radiotelevision. It targets Croatian diaspora audiences and other viewers abroad with Croatian news, tourism, cultural and community-oriented programming. The current identity was adopted in 2019 after the service operated under earlier names including HRT Sat and HRT 5.
International television channel
Slika Hrvatske
A former international channel associated with HRT's overseas broadcasting operation. It transmitted an eight-hour programming block to Europe and repeated the block for audiences in North America and Oceania. The service ended in 2016.
Brand decisions
2023
Consolidation of satellite distribution on Eutelsat 16AStrategyBackground
HRT revised the satellite distribution of its international service.
Action taken
Transmission on Hotbird 13C ended and the service moved entirely to Eutelsat 16A.
Aftermath
HRT International continued as an overseas television service using the Eutelsat 16A distribution position.
2021
Conversion to high-definition broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
HRT International updated its technical transmission format for overseas viewers.
Action taken
The channel began HD broadcasting on 12 January 2021 and later discontinued its European SD signal.
Aftermath
The European standard-definition transmission was switched off on 1 April 2021.
2017
Creation of a redesigned international channelStrategyBackground
A September 2017 agreement between Croatian Radiotelevision and the Government of Croatia provided for a new version of the international service.
Action taken
HRT developed and tested the HRT 5 or HTV 5 service, with HRT responsible for 70 percent of its programming production.
Aftermath
The service began regular broadcasting in January 2018 and was renamed HRT International in January 2019.
Sources2 sources
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