(IPYS/IFEX) – On 8 January 2007, journalist Walter Anestiades denounced the decision by the managers of the radio station FM Centro to cancel his programme, “Mejor hablar de ciertas cosas”, because of the pressure exerted upon the station by the mayor of the locality of Oberá, Edwaldo Rindfleisch, whose administration was criticized on the programme. […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 8 January 2007, journalist Walter Anestiades denounced the decision by the managers of the radio station FM Centro to cancel his programme, “Mejor hablar de ciertas cosas”, because of the pressure exerted upon the station by the mayor of the locality of Oberá, Edwaldo Rindfleisch, whose administration was criticized on the programme. The journalist and his team found the doors to the broadcasting studio locked and were unable to broadcast the programme. Oberá is situated in the province of Misiones in north-eastern Argentina.
The station’s management declared that the programme was cancelled because the journalist was planning to defame, by accusing him of sexual crimes, Rogelio Rivero, one of the radio station’s employees who, according to Anestiades, has ties to the mayor.
Anestiades stated that the radio station’s owner, Juan Wells, has not paid his salary since May 2006, because of his criticism of the mayor. Since then, and until it was cancelled, the programme continued to be broadcast thanks to the contributions of a group of listeners.
The programme’s telephone line had been cut a few months before, allegedly because the bill had not been paid. Anestiades attributes this action to the relationship between the telephone company and the mayor, who is on leave from his previous position as the company’s president.
