Argentine government seeks new legislation to open TV market, “mother of all battles” expected

April 17, 2008 – The Argentine government of Cristina Kirchner is “willing to advance with a new [broadcasting] law” to open up the market to other players, according to the new auditor of the Federal Radio Broadcast Committee (Comfer), Gabriel Mariotto, speaking in an interview with local daily La Nación.

Mr. Mariotto added that while the President wishes to make progress in this area, a new broadcasting law would be the “mother of all battles”, saying that for 28 years there has been pressure from players in the communications industry to avoid such legislation coming about.  He stated that Comfer has instructions to draw up a project to replace the current Broadcasting Act 22.285, effective since the last military government, which bans telcos from delivering pay TV. 

Mr. Mariotto also considers that the proposals will have support and a good chance of being passed by Congress.  La Nación goes on to comment that while he initially attributes the urgency to promote a new broadcasting law as due to a “technological matter”, he later concedes that there are “political reasons” behind the urgency.  Mr. Mariotto concludes that the state has to initiate a degree of rationality to guarantee liberty of expression and a plurality of voices, and that new TV technologies must be the excuse to create a democratic pay TV industry.

Section 45 of the current legislation prohibits utilities such as telcos from having access to pay TV licences, but allows cable TV companies to receive telecommunications licences.

To read the interview in full please click here