Venezuela steps up control of television, radio (just "democratizing the airwaves", says Hugo)

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 7/9/09 | Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela is taking dozens of radio stations off the air and putting stricter rules on cable and satellite television, a minister said on Thursday, part of President Hugo Chavez's battle with private media firms.

Disodado Cabello, the public works minister who also oversees Venezuela's broadcasting watchdog, said 154 FM radio stations will be taken off the air and shifted into public hands in what he called "democratizing the airwaves."

He recently said 86 AM radio stations will also be hit as the government steps up efforts to turn Venezuela into a socialist society.

"The use of the radio-electric spectrum is one of the few areas where the revolution has not been felt," Cabello said in a presentation to legislators about the need for reform in the sector.

Since taking office a decade ago, Chavez has broken up large farms and nationalized important economic sectors including the oil industry.

Chavez and his supporters describe their drive to broadcast a pro-government message as a "media war" with private news companies. Venezuela's media is highly polarized with biased coverage the norm on both government and private networks.

The president has vastly expanded the number of publicly owned television and radio stations since he took office in 1999. Some are directly owned or financed by the government, while others are operated by cooperatives and community groups.

[Mr. Wright]

Correct me if I am wrong, but is this not right out of the Obama Administration playbook?

[NormsRevenge]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez talks to the media
during ALBA emergency meeting in Nicaragua June 29, 2009.
REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/Handout

[NormsRevenge]

eerie, huh?

[FlashBack]

Tune in to K-BAM for all the nueze!!

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Hey c’mon, it’s the Fairness Doctrine!

[Dallas59]

0Buma would love to do this....if only he could get rid of the nasty first and second amendment....

[NormsRevenge]

South american dictator style in action.. so typical of a despot.

[kjo]

You are NOT wrong...this IS Obama’s playbook...with a difference...The One will use the FCC and the Justice Department to go after conservatives...but not in a big way until after The Messiah is reelected in 2012.

You think he won’t be???

I keep reading that all the GOP has to stop him is Romney.

[Biggirl]

A preview of Obama rolling out the “UNFairness Doctrine” in its different flavors.

[Biggirl]

....Or Palin.

[marron]

The Clintons tried to push the “Fairness Doctrine” through, Pelosi promised to do it, and I’m pretty sure it will be high on Obama’s list of things to do.

So, yes, there isn’t much difference ideologically between Chavism and Obamism. Or Clintonism or Pelosiism either, for that matter. They are birds of a feather. What Chavez is doing they all hope to do. And they’re working on it.

[South40]

Hugo says, "Dude!"

[Tzimisce]

Hey! “Democratizing” the airwaves is what Obama and his friends want to do here in the US. :)

[Truth29]

Chavez is going to end up an ex officio adviser to Obama.

[mtntop3]

This is not a “socialist” society in the making, unless one uses the former “Soviet Socialist Republics” as the defining term. It is the making of a totalitarian society—pretty far along in the process. Marxists/Leninist go for control of three specific components: the media, educational institutions, and the military.

[mojitojoe]

[M. Espinola]

Hugo’s leftist totalitarianism in action. Count on Obama’s handlers taking notes.

[GeronL]

240 radio stations, nationalized for pro-Chavez thugs. Just imagine that.

[guitarplayer1953]

PBS has come to south america VNPR!