TMCnet News
Venezuelan gov't threatens to revoke radio, TV licenses(EFE Ingles Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Caracas, Jul 3 (EFE).- Venezuela's Conatel regulatory agency said 285 radio and television stations will have their licenses revoked if they don't provide the entity with updated data on their operations, Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello said Friday. Conatel also plans to open disciplinary proceedings against stations that run ads put out by two opposition organizations that, based on "false assumptions," talk about a supposed threat to private property by President Hugo Chavez's leftist government, Cabello said. He told a press conference that Conatel is giving broadcast media operators 15 days to update their data with the regulatory agency. The measure applies to 240 radio stations and 45 TV stations, Cabello said, without identifying those affected. He said stations that have failed to update their registrations with the government "are operating illegally," and that further delays in doing so will result not only in loss of their licenses but the seizure of broadcast equipment and a five-year ban on operating in the telecommunications sector. "We're going to democratize the use of the broadcast spectrum," Cabello said, adding that in Venezuela 27 families control more than 31 percent of the airwaves. Regarding the opposition ads, Cabello said they are messages signed by the organizations Asoesfuerzo and Cedice that, based on "false, deceitful assumptions" warn about presumed threats to private property by the Chavez administration. "We're ordering administrative sanction proceedings against the media" outlets that disseminate the ads and "those who pay for these spots," who will be investigated to determine where the millions of dollars in funding behind them originates, Cabello said. Conatel's disciplinary proceedings will be accompanied by "a preventative measure" that orders media outlets "to refrain from broadcasting the ads." The Asoesfuerzo and Cedice spots have been disseminated in recent weeks by most of Venezuela's private radio, television and print media, despite being condemned by government representatives, including Chavez. The Venezuelan leader said Thursday night that the attitude of the promoters of the ads was "almost criminal." The Globovision network, accused by the government of "media terrorism" and threatened with closure by Conatel, said it was notified Friday that disciplinary proceedings were being brought against it for broadcasting the ads. Globovision is the only TV station on the public airwaves openly critical of Chavez; another opposition-allied channel was shut down in 2007 and two other broadcasters toned down their criticism of the government to avoid sanctions. EFE gf/mc (c) 2009 EFE News Services (U.S.) Inc. |