RCTV Cancellation: a year after (updated)

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RCTV returns by cable TV.

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UPDATES: An opposition demonstration took place peacefully today in favour of RCTV. During the public event less than expected people attended. It was a rainy day in Caracas though. Opposition took the opportunity to ask for the issue of a new broadcasting licence for RCTV. However, the issue does not seem to be the licence but the air-wave allotment. Channel 2, previously allocated to RCTV is now occupied by public service TVES.

Caracas, Venezuela, 25 May 2008. Next Tuesday 27 May 2008, a year would have passed after the cancellation of the public broadcast licence of Venezuela TV Network RCTV. It is now time to make an assessment on the effects of such governmental policy.

RCTV has managed to air its TV shows and soap operas by costly private cable. The new TV station that took over its broadcast allotment, TVES, has such a little audience that Venezuelan President Rafael Hugo Chavez once questioned who was watching it. Even though its programmes are mostly educational and cultural orientated, TVES has not been able to keep the RCTV audience it intended to entertain.

The opposition has claimed that the cancellation - labelled as closure- was one the reason Chavez lost the Constitutional reform referendum last year. It continues to bring the issue of RCTV on the political agenda but less often each time. It is only today, it would make a public demonstration to remember the "closure".

From the government perspective, the cancellation showed other TV networks of its mighty muscle when it came to enact the information and communication laws and regulations. It also demosntrated its diplomatic abilites at confronting US at OAS. However, it was a rather pyrrhic victory as the political cost of the action were by far greater than the benefts. Opposition criticisim aired from TV Network Globovision has not been deterred by the RCTV cancellation. Even one RCTV actress, Fabiola Colmenares, is now running as a candidate for the local election due in November.     

More news to come

Sources: RCTV, El Universal, Globovision, PrInside,

Related stories: May 29, 2007: The RCTV-TVES saga, May 27th, 2007: RCTV cancellation day, RCTV cancellation: Legal and popular?, RCTV closure: Legal and popular? (part II), Chávez: US defeated at OAS over RCTV, RCTV returns by cable TV (updated), Baruch Ivcher on RCTV