(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is a 23 July 2000 statement by Arturo Bretaglio, representative of AMARC-Paraguay: Asuncion, 23 julio 2000 On Friday 21 July, the National Telecommunications Commission (Comision Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL), asked the Civil and Commercial First Instance Court, presided by Judge Maria Angelica Calvo, to close the FM TRINIDAD (95.1) community radio […]
(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is a 23 July 2000 statement by Arturo Bretaglio, representative of AMARC-Paraguay:
Asuncion, 23 julio 2000
On Friday 21 July, the National Telecommunications Commission (Comision Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL), asked the Civil and Commercial First Instance Court, presided by Judge Maria Angelica Calvo, to close the FM TRINIDAD (95.1) community radio station and confiscate its equipment.
At the same time, CONATEL has been unilaterally and arbitrarily calling on community radio stations to bid for frequencies. For more than three years, the Paraguayan Community Radio Broadcasting Association (Asociacion Paraguaya de Radiodifusion Comunitaria, COMUNICA) and the Community Radio Network (Red de Radios Populares), have participated in a roundtable dialogue with CONATEL, working towards the development of fair and equitable regulation, in accordance with Law 642/95 which legally recognises community radio stations.
By calling on the radio stations to participate in the bidding in a non-democratic manner and without previous warning, CONATEL has violated the agreement it has with 64 member radio stations of COMUNICA and the 22 member stations of the Community Radio Network.
Now CONATEL wishes to limit the participation of those who may take part in the frequency auction. It has allowed for only 108 community broadcasters and limited their power to 20 watts in the capital and 30 watts in rural zones, which may result in the closure of some stations and the confiscation of othersâ equipment. Furthermore, it plans to grant only twelve frequencies for the whole country. In Asuncion, eight broadcasters would be alloted three frequencies and the remaining 96 would have to share the nine remaining frequencies. This manner of distributing frequencies and capacity is a clear attempt to limit community-based broadcasters, some of which have been active for more than five years with 300 to 900 watt capacity. The invitation to participate in the bidding, ending on 15 August, was done in a partisan manner. Frequencies were granted to community-based organisations, apparently linked to the governing party, which is currently embroiled in the electoral campaign for the 13 August vice-presidential elections.
We, the representatives of Paraguayan Community Radio Stations, have decided to say NO to a frequency auction that is crooked, not agreed upon and partisan, and will try to do all we can to prevent the closure of FM TRINIDAD, as well as other community radios which are currently being summoned by CONATEL.
For the last five years, we having been providing you with information on the progress of, and difficulties being faced by, community radio stations in Paraguay. We always thought that we should wait until the last minute to ask for international support and solidarity. Unfortunately, today, we are going through this difficult time and have no doubt that we can call upon you for assistance.
While one broadcaster still remains on the air, we will continue to resist by calling for the democratisation of communications and Paraguayan society.
We thank you for your messages,
Arturo E. Bregaglio
Director FM TRINIDAD/Representative AMARC-Paraguay
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– condemning the closure of FM TRINIDAD and the confiscation of its equipment, as well as the closure of any other community radio station that may find itself in a similar situation
– asking the Paraguayan government to implement its national harmonising programme on providing access to all social sectors, and to create spaces for dialogue with the organisations representing community radios
– calling for an official roundtable discussion between CONATEL and community radio stations, so that they may continue working towards a fair and equitable regulation governing community radio stations, which are legally recognised by Law 642/95, Chapter IV, Articles 57, 58 y 59
– calling for the suspension of the radio frequenciesâ auction, so that its timing will not coincide with the vice-presidential electoral campaign
– calling for an arbitration mechanism, overseen by national and international organisations, that will ensure that community radio stations are subject to a fair and transparent regulatory process
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Dr. Luis Gonzalez Macchi
Presidency of the Republic
Fax: +595 21 452 080
Ing. Victor Bogado
CONATEL
Fax: +595 21 498 888
Candido Vera Bejarano
Chamber of Deputees
Fax: +595 21 451 045
Juan Roque Galeano
Chamber of Senators
Fax: +595 21 441 877
Alberto Planas
Minister of Public Works
Fax: +595 21 443 559
Please send a copy of your appeals to FM TRINIDAD, which will record and distribute all protests to other Paraguayan radio stations. Send copies to:
Arturo E. Bregaglio
Radio TRINIDAD office
Fax: +595 21 297 806
E-mail: islaverde@quanta.com.py
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
