The development of television as one of the most influential mass media goes back to the 1920s. The evolution of the television system took place with significant differences in Europe, where the so-called system of public radio and television services was developed, and in the United States of America, as the creator of the commercial television model. This paper analyses televisions with a national concession in Croatia, specifically Croatian Radio Television as a public broadcasting service and two commercial televisions with a national concession, Nova TV and RTL. The emphasis, however, is placed on the legislative framework that regulates the activities of television broadcasters transmitting programs on the state level. Bearing in mind that the media often act differently from the prescribed legal framework, the analysis of the report of the regulatory body for the supervision of electronic media established the areas in which the national television broadcasters in Croatia violate the legal provisions. The paper also offers a comprehensive insight into the functioning of the broadcasting system, starting from the establishment of the first television broadcasts, the survival of television in different political systems, financing methods and the regulatory framework of the European Union for the field of audiovisual activity.