BRATISLAVA (Reuter) - Slovakia`s opposition parties protested on Tuesday against Monday`s shutdown by the state telecommunication authority of the independent Radio Twist which is often at odds with the government. "This is so far the most brutal step by the ruling coalition in its fight against the independent media," said a statement issued by the Democratic Union, the second-largest opposition party. The telecommunication authority said on Monday that it was closing down the radio`s main frequency because of arrears in its regular 170,000 crown ($5,050) payments for operational fees and that it was terminating its contract with Twist. The announcement came some 10 minutes after the radio went off air at the end of its noon broadcast. Two other local radio stations were also cut off on Monday for arrears. Radio Twist continued to broadcast on Tuesday on another frequency from central Slovakia and could be heard in Bratislava, albeit with heavy interference. Twist`s co-owner and director Andrej Hryc said he had paid the fee, due at the end of September, on Monday. Mikuláš Dzurinda, deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and spokesman of the recently formed Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) told Twist on Tuesday the move against it was politically motivated. "This is the result of strong political pressure against an independent radio station," Dzurinda said. Dzurinda said he had paid an official visit to the state telecoms authority on Tuesday as a member of a parliamentary investigation team. He said state radio and television and private TV station VTV, which has close connections to Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar`s Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, were also in arrears. Hryc told the radio he was negotiating on resumption of broadcasting at the telecoms headquarters. "Our talks are going on in a calm atmosphere because we all know the score," Hryc said. "They are already aware that we have paid but said it had not come up on their account." Hryc said on Monday the blocking of Twist`s frequency was a result of threats by Mečiar that he would teach it a lesson. Twist has been active in pursuing controversies surrounding the government, and has been accused by officials of bias. The HZDS rejected the claims. "If the private radio station Twist does not fulfill its financial committments to the state company ST, it must bear the consequences," the HZDS said in a statement on Tuesday. "The government has nothing to do with this problem, as it is purely a business affair," said Magda Pospíšilová, spokeswoman of Vladimír Mečiar. In March 1994 the Mečiar government pulled the plug on the Slovak transmissions of U.S. government sponsored Radio Free Europe in protest against what it considered anti-government reporting, but later reconnected it after U.S. protests. Radio Twist resumed broadcasts on Tuesday after reaching an agreement with the telecommunications authority (ST). At around 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Tuesday, Twist started to broadcast again, saying it had reached a temporary agreement with ST with prospects for concluding a new contract. "We were 13 days in arrears in paying our next instalment due to secondary insolvency (unpaid receipts)," Andy Hryc said as the station resumed transmission. "But even a 25-hour suspension will not affect the objectivity of our newscasts," he added.