(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 October 2006, the signal of television station TV Convenção in the town of Itu, in São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, was cut. According to the station’s director, Rosângela Soares Sena, the town’s municipal police force cut all broadcasts on orders from the town’s mayor, Herculaneo Júnior. Sena stated that the mayor’s […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 October 2006, the signal of television station TV Convenção in the town of Itu, in São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, was cut. According to the station’s director, Rosângela Soares Sena, the town’s municipal police force cut all broadcasts on orders from the town’s mayor, Herculaneo Júnior.
Sena stated that the mayor’s objective was to silence the only media outlet that opposes his government. She also told IPYS that the station’s former owners want to reassume control of the administration of the station and have joined Júnior in a lawsuit against the current owners.
According to Sena, TV Convenção stopped broadcasting during 21 days in February after being ordered to do so by the mayor. However, a judge issued an injunction ordering the restoration of the signal.
In September 2005, Júnior had complained before the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) that the station’s signal was illegal. ANATEL inspected the station’s facilities in May and August 2006 and did not find any technical irregularities. It should be noted that ANATEL is the only organization with the authority to cancel concessions of the radio-electric spectrum, which belong to the federal government.
IPYS believes that cutting the television station’s signal is an attack on press freedom. IPYS asks the Communications Department and ANATEL to analyze the case and order the signal to be restored while the lawsuit for the administration of the company is being settled.
This alert was prepared by IPYS with information provided by the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo, ABRAJI).
