Croatia - Nova TV
Nova TV, Croatia's first commercial television station, uses its influence to improve local society by undertaking important actions in addition to TV program broadcasting.
For three years in a row Nova TV's journalists have participated in the Terry Fox Run which takes place in Zagreb. Terry Fox, a Canadian, was an active teenager involved in many sports. He was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977. While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research – he called his journey the Marathon of Hope. The Terry Fox Run, held annually across the world to commemorate the Marathon of Hope, is a non-competitive event where people get together as individuals and groups to raise money in Terry’s name, celebrating his legacy and helping to keep his dream of a cure for cancer alive. Every year Nova TV enters a runner for the Marathon of Hope in Zagreb or volunteers for the organized sale of merchandising products.
In 2005 Nova TV donated a professional ambulance vehicle for the general hospital in the city of Gospic, nicknamed the 'Heroic hospital' after playing a crucial role in the war in the 1990's. Gospić was a front-line town in the war between Croatian government forces and rebel Serb forces and suffered terrible atrocities during that time.
In the autumn of 2007, Nova TV was a media partner of the humanitarian event 'Nipetnisest', an award for the brave actions of children and young people who have risked their lives to help or save someone. ‘Nipetnisest’ describes when a person has been brave on impulse and the award is a biannual event which was first held in 2003. It was founded by Plavi Telefon to recognize basic values in life such as humanity, goodness and altruism. As media partner, Nova TV announced the opening of the application process and reported on the award both on screen and on its web site. The award ceremony was hosted and presented by Nova TV’s celebrities.
In 2007, Nova TV donated a year’s supply of nourishment for the horses belonging to the charity 'Nada' in Vrbovec, which helps people with growth problems by offering therapeutic horseriding. Instead of sending Christmas greeting cards, Nova TV gave away a planned amount to the humanitarian syndicate 'Krijesnica' that helps parents with children who are terminally ill and each Christmas, Nova TV donates presents to local children's institutions.
Annually, Nova TV ensures a certain amount of free air time is devoted to announcing humanitarian aid issues or showing related events in its schedule and the news programming of Nova TV aims to cover all socially engaged actions and events making them known to general public.
