In the
mountains above Caracas, two government officials often stand watch over the
antennas of TV news network Globovision, poised to take it off air if
regulators object
to coverage of anti-government protests, according to two
station employees.
They said
the 24-hour Venezuelan news station receives regular warnings from state
telecom regulator Conatel against showing live footage of clashes between
anti-government protesters and security forces, or broadcasting terms such as
"dictatorship" and "repression."
"It's a
daily threat," said one of the employees, citing information from station
managers and asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
"Conatel
is making decisions about coverage."
In contrast
to past waves of unrest in Venezuela, particularly during Hugo Chavez's
1999-2013 rule, the nation's three main private television stations have
provided minimal live coverage of the latest anti-government demonstrations.
They rarely
show more than a few minutes of real-time images of protests, which range from
peaceful marches to violent melees that have left 57 people dead amid anger
against President Nicolas Maduro and frustration over the crumbling economy.
However, the
private networks, including Globovision, do give broadly equal weight to
opposition and government leaders and supporters in broadcasts - contrary to
assertions by critics that they muzzle the opposition.
"If
people abroad sampled Venezuela's TV media directly, as opposed to judging it
by what is said about it by the international media and some big NGOs, they'd
be shocked to find the opposition constantly denouncing the government and even
making very thinly veiled appeals to the military to oust Maduro," said
Joe Emersberger, a Canadian blogger who tracks Venezuelan media and writes for
state-funded Telesur network.
"Focusing
on 'live' coverage is just a way to avoid acknowledging they (protests) are
being extensively covered."
Regulators
do openly describe vigilance of coverage, with Conatel director Andres Mendez
recently telling state TV the regulator was constantly evaluating Globovision
and some of its anchors. "We sometimes have pleasant conversations with
(Globovision's) president," he said.
Globovision,
Mendez, Conatel, and the Information Ministry did not respond to requests for
comment.
Ruling
Socialist Party officials scoff at the idea of any censorship, insisting the
government is the victim of a U.S.-supported campaign by private local and
international media to depict it as a repressive regime and thus justify a
coup.
Evening news
broadcasts by the country's other major private television networks -
Venevision and Televen - usually include footage of the day's protests.
But it is
generally edited to avoid showing the handwritten signs calling Maduro a
dictator or people chanting slogans against him, both of which are ubiquitous
at rallies.
Employees
from two of the major networks, all of whom also asked not to be identified,
said they have also been instructed to carefully manage reporting and
interviews so as to avoid state sanctions.
The stations
did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Reporters
from those stations who cover opposition marches have been attacked by crowds
accusing them of hiding the reality on the streets to curry government favor.
Earlier this
month, demonstrators doused a team of Globovision journalists with gasoline,
and separately broke the windows of a car carrying the same team of reporters.
"It's
gotten much more aggressive," said a reporter from a private station who
asked not to be identified.
Foreign
television networks have also come under pressure.
Conatel in
February ordered cable television services to pull CNN's Spanish television
network CNN en Español.
In April,
Conatel ordered two networks from Argentina and Colombia briefly off cable
services, following accusations they were broadcasting "unfounded and
false information." Four more foreign TV networks are being investigated,
it said.
"We are
constantly being monitored," said Ronald Rodriguez, president of
Venezuela's subscription television industry association.
0 Comments