Articles by World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
Community radio station’s personnel threatened by armed individuals
(AMARC/IFEX) – AMARC condemns the difficult situation faced by community-based radio stations in Venezuela. The organisation urges the government to ensure that measures are implemented so that journalists can safely carry out their work. The Lima, Peru-based organisation Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) has documented a number of cases involving […]
Government threatens to shut down radio station
(AMARC/IFEX) – On 3 and 4 February 2004, President Lucio Gutiérrez and other officials threatened to close down La Luna (99.3 FM) radio station. In addition, the station’s director reported that he received threatening phone calls directed at his family. In recent days, indigenous people and other citizens have held demonstrations to express their support […]
Government officials attempt to close community radio station
(AMARC/IFEX) – On 10 September 2003, at approximately 10:30 a.m. (local time), two Communications and Transport Secretariat (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, SCT) agents attempted to confiscate La Voladora community radio station’s equipment. The agents, identified as Mauricio Rojas Cabrera and Fernando Salvador Gómez Rebollo, entered the station’s premises by force, breaking locks and beating […]
Discrimination in allocation of radio broadcasting licences unconstitutional, says Supreme Court
(AMARC/IFEX) – Community radio stations have welcomed a ruling by the Supreme Court declaring the unconstitutionality of Article 45 of the Radio Broadcasting Law. The article stipulates that representatives of non-profit entities are not eligible to apply for a radio broadcasting licence. The Supreme Court decision came as a result of lobbying by the “Carlos […]
Michoacán community radio station visited by soldiers
(AMARC/IFEX) – In late February 2003, two soldiers visited the community radio station Nuevo San Juan, 99.1 FM, in the municipality of San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán state, to obtain information about the station and the names of its directors. The Mexican army has been increasingly involved in matters that do not fall under its mandate. […]
Community radio stations under attack
(AMARC/IFEX) – In letters to President Vicente Fox and Interior Minister Santiago Creel Miranda, AMARC has expressed “great concern over the harassment campaign against Mexican community radio stations waged in recent months by the Mexican army and the Communications and Transport Secretariat [Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, SCT]”. AMARC urged the government to stem the […]
Draft law sets limitations and penalises community radio stations
(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is a 16 September 2002 AMARC press release highlighting a campaign for international support: Montevideo, 16 September 2002 The regulatory body for communications in Uruguay, URSEC (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones), has given the public the opportunity to comment on a draft bill until 27 September. The bill proposes to […]
Community media worker denied access to information and verbally assaulted
(AMARC/IFEX) – On 4 August 2002, community media worker Carlos Andrade was verbally assaulted by the legal advisor to the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones, SIT), Juan Alfredo Barrios. Andrade had gone to the SIT offices to obtain information regarding the latest tendering of radio frequencies. Andrade identified himself as a member of the […]