(FLIP/IFEX) – The Ondas del Valle radio station, which broadcasts in Cartago, Valle del Cauca department in western Colombia, has cancelled its public affairs programme “Como les parece”. During the final edition of the programme, which was broadcast on 10 May 2005, programme host Javier Darío Arroyave stated, “I have decided to suspend, at least […]
(FLIP/IFEX) – The Ondas del Valle radio station, which broadcasts in Cartago, Valle del Cauca department in western Colombia, has cancelled its public affairs programme “Como les parece”.
During the final edition of the programme, which was broadcast on 10 May 2005, programme host Javier Darío Arroyave stated, “I have decided to suspend, at least for now, the broadcasts of ‘Como les parece’. I think it’s the best choice, since it wouldn’t make sense to continue the programme without having the right to express opinions, let alone dissenting ones.
Arroyave also said that a comment made during the 3 May edition of the programme, referring to the purchase of a vehicle for the fire department and the manner in which Cartago Mayor Luis Alberto Castro had announced the acquisition, had aroused the mayor’s ire.
The journalist also told FLIP that he was suspending the public affairs programme because he believed that if it continued airing, the Mayor’s Office would cancel its purchase of advertising spots from the station.
At a 7 May public hearing, Castro refused to answer a question from Arroyave, saying he would not respond to questions from anyone denigrating his municipal government. FLIP has received corroboration of this incident from several of the town’s journalists. FLIP also spoke with Mayor Castro, who said he had not refused to answer any question and that his relations with the media are respectful and cordial.
The Ondas del Valle case is not the first of this nature in the town. Several Cartago journalists have told FLIP that a similar situation arose when the weekly “Cartago Hoy” published a report on the first 100 days of Castro’s administration. A source in the town’s financial department told several of the region’s journalists that after the report’s publication the mayor decided to freeze payment on the newspaper’s invoices for advertisements.
On 13 May, during Ondas del Valle’s news programme, also directed by Arroyave, Castro spoke with the press. According to the journalist, the mayor publicly retracted his accusations and restrictions on the station and its journalists. The mayor told FLIP that he had spoken on the news programme, but again denied having retracted anything, saying that he had no difficulties with the Cartago media.
Despite the fact that it was Arroyave’s decision to cancel “Como les parece”, it should be emphasised that he did so because he sensed the mayor might use economic means to pressure the radio station, given the “Cartago Hoy” experience.
FLIP is concerned that attitudes such as that of the Cartago mayor generate a climate favouring self-censorship by local media, for fear that the government will cancel advertising contracts in response to the publication or broadcast of certain kinds of information.
FLIP notes that Article 13 of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression states “[the] arbitrary and discriminatory placement of official advertising (. . .) with the intent to put pressure on and punish or reward and provide privileges to social communicators and communications media because of the opinions they express threaten freedom of expression, and must be explicitly prohibited by law.”
