[Venezuelanalysis editor Greg Wilpert reports on last week's announcement by President Chavez that the broadcast license of the oppositional TV station RCTV, which expires in May of this year, will not be renewed. Government officials explained that according to Venezuelan law the renewal is a discretional decision of the government and is thus completely legal. --Ed]
Venezuelan Government Will Not Renew “Coup-Plotting” TV Station’s License
By Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com
January 03, 2007
Caracas, January 3, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— In a controversial decision, President Chavez announced last week that the broadcast license of the oppositional TV station RCTV, which expires in May of this year, will not be renewed. Government officials explained that according to Venezuelan law the renewal is a discretional decision of the government and is thus completely legal.
Last week, during a military ceremony, President Hugo Chavez announced, “There will be no new concession for this coup-plotting channel, known as Radio Caracas Television [RCTV]!”
He went on to say, “The measure has already been prepared, so they might as well go ahead and turn off their equipment. No media will be tolerated that is at the service of coupism, against the people, against the nation, against the dignity of the Republic. Venezuela is to be respected!”
The TV channel RCTV has been one of the most consistent opponents of the Chavez government, along with the all-news channel Globovision. During the April 2002 coup attempt RCTV was one of the main protagonists in the organization and execution of the coup. It was the first to broadcast the false claim that Chavez supporters were shooting at opposition demonstrators, which then served as a justification for high level generals to declare their disobedience to the government, also on RCTV.
RCTV then had exclusive interviews with coup plotters and the talk show host Napoleon Bravo read Chavez’s supposed resignation letter on RCTV. Later it turned out that the letter was never signed by Chavez and that he had actually not resigned at all, but had been taken into custody.
When the coup began to falter and thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in support of Chavez, RCTV refused to provide any news coverage of the developments and switched from 24-hour news coverage to the broadcasting of old cartoons and movies instead.
Other reasons Chavez and his supporters refer to RCTV as a “coup-plotting” channel are because it also supported the December 2002 shutdown of the oil industry that was designed to force Chavez from office. At the time RCTV (along with Globovision) gave free advertising time to the opposition, broadcasting these in lieu of commercial advertising, urging citizens to support the so-called general strike.
Also, during the August 2004 presidential recall referendum, RCTV refused to accept pro-Chavez advertisements.
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