CARACAS (Reuters) – A Venezuelan cable TV station known for fierce opposition to President Hugo Chavez yesterday accepted new broadcast rules to get back on the air again, after the government last month suspended it.
RCTV Internacional was dropped by cable providers in January on government orders for refusing to broadcast some of Chavez’s frequent, lengthy speeches.
RCTV Internacional will now “begrudgingly” broadcast the speeches when required, station-owner Marcel Granier told a news conference. He also launched a new station, RCTV Mundo, that will broadcast mainly overseas content and will not be subject to the same rules.
Broadcasting authorities must approve the agreement but it was immediately applauded by Diosdado Cabello, who heads the government’s telecommunications watchdog Conatel.
Cable broadcasters which carry more than 30 per cent of content produced in Venezuela are now subject to the same rules as non-cable networks, which can have their broadcasts interrupted by presidential speeches at any time.
RCTV International, which produces some of the country’s favourite soap operas, had previously argued it was not a national producer.
“If RCTV has gone to Conatel to admit they are national audiovisual producers, they deserve a round of applause,” Cabello said.