MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cable or satellite option for censored Venezuelan TV station

Venezuela's Minister of Communication and Information William Lara said private television station RCTV would be able to broadcast on cable or satellite following May 27, the date when its broadcast license to operate in open free radio frequency expires.

Lara reassured that as of May 27, RCTV "may continue transmission on satellite or cable. They have a right to do so and nobody will deny it." Lara told the official television channel VTV that a "public service television station" is to replace RCTV as of May 28, and said the new channel would resume the path of "quality and leave behind the philosophy that people need to be given sex, sports and violence, because that boosts sales". According to the presidential decree published Monday in the Caracas Official Gazette the new station to replace RCTV has been organized as a foundation governing state Venezuelan Social Television Station (Teves). The new television station will be attached to the Ministry of Communication and Information with its headquarters located in Caracas. Teves will be authorized to operate in Venezuela and abroad. The new Teves Foundation will structure and design Teves programming but will not be in charge of producing or generating contents or audiovisual material. The foundation's capital stock will be entirely contributed by the Venezuelan State, but the amount was not mentioned in the decree. The board of directors of Teves Foundation will comprise seven members appointed by the Ministry of Communication and Information. President Hugo Chavez administration decided not to renew RCTV license arguing it has systematically attacked his government, "discredited Venezuela" and openly supported the April 2002 aborted coup to oust him