January 24, 2010

Responding to government orders, Venezuelan cable providers have stopped showing the station RCTV Internacional. The government said the station was not following broadcast regulations that include showing Chavez's speeches. Critics say the channel was pulled because it's critical of President Hugo Chavez. In 2007, Chavez denied RCTV a renewal of its broadcast license because, he said, the station participated in the 2002 coup. During the coup, which temporarily ousted Chavez, networks showed nonstop footage of anti-Chavez protests but then turned the cameras off when loyalists restored Chavez. Then, in response, RCTV created an "international" station based in Miami to avoid content restrictions. But the Venezuelan government determined that the station is still subject to Venezuelan broadcast rules because most of the content is produced in Venezuela.

Press freedom groups from around the world and the U.S. government have condemned the decision and accuse Chavez of limiting free speech. RCTV said in a statement, "(The measure) is meant to silence the voice of protest of the Venezuelan people in the face of the failure of the government's administration." Chavez has recently faced growing criticism due to shortages of power and water, and a sharp currency devaluation that could increase inflation. Chavez is also accused of silencing dissent by boosting pro-government broadcasting. In recent years he has created several state-funded television networks.

RCTV was just one of the channels that was recently pulled. Venezuela's cable industry organization said that RCTV along with several other stations "had been temporarily excluded from the programing schedule [because they] had not complied with the regulations in place." (Full Story)