Venezuela's Contrarian TV Station Survives on YouTube 457
carlos_J writes "Ars Technica is running a story about RCTV, a Venezuelan television station whose broadcast license was refused renewal by the government. In response, the station turned to YouTube to get its message out. Says Ars, 'El Observador clips have been seen 175,000 times since May 28, and the channel is currently the most-subscribed channel of the week. While putting the station's shows on YouTube is an excellent idea, YouTube still lacks anything near the reach of over-the-air broadcasts. But the use of the site to avoid censorship is growing, and it's not hard to imagine a day in the near future when the site (or sites like it) becomes as essential as local TV stations. As that happens, YouTube will come into even more conflicts with governments that have an interest in controlling what their citizens see, It's already happening--Thailand's king, for instance, has a thing for iPods but isn't too keen on YouTube. Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? '"
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:5, Informative)
You mean, didn't renew the license of the station that assisted in the coup of April 2002.
Counter-revolution indeed (Score:3, Informative)
Twisted logic (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:2, Informative)
The opposition came onto RCTV and thanked them for all their help. Marcel Granier told the station not to air anything positive to Chavez that day. They lied about how he resigned, which was the justification used by the military to support the coup.
People quit over these decisions.
I seriously wonder why they people who run that station hasn't been arrested.
Chavez would have had to arrest all of the Private stations, which as you will surely agree is against Freedom of speech. He was waiting for the renewal of RCTV, which the United States has the right to non-renew or provide as well. As do many other places that do it for political reasons that we don't discuss because they are U.S. client states.
But it is a very difficult thing to prove. Watch it yourself, and make up your own mind. The coverage is on youtube.
Ahhh, maybe they didn't participate but rather aired stuff that wasn't favorable to the almighty himself.
So watch the coverage. What do you think based on their lies about him resigning, and their lies about the Chavistas firing on the opposition?
Well, then we are back to the he didn't renew it because they criticized him.
You tell us if you're away of it instead of alluding to it. What are the facts?
I find it extremely ironic that the person who called Bush evil is now Evil and is being protested by the millions in his own country.
A minority, in mostly rich areas, but still important, yes.
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:3, Informative)
why don't you check yourself what really happened?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gRUrQCTtNI [youtube.com]
Re:Your answer below. (Score:1, Informative)
He isn't blocking RCTV, they will move to satellite and continue to broadcast. They will not be available to lower income levels, but hopefully the new station TVes will still show their views without inciting violence or assassination against a democratically elected government with wide popular support.
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:5, Informative)
I seriously wonder why they people who run that station hasn't been arrested. I mean overthrowing your government is a crime after all. Ahhh, maybe they didn't participate but rather aired stuff that wasn't favorable to the almighty himself. Well, then we are back to the he didn't renew it because they criticized him.
Or maybe, maybe a media's involvement in a coup is through propaganda? Maybe?
Re:Your answer below. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:5, Informative)
RCTV's most infamous effort to topple Chavez came during the April 11, 2002, coup attempt against him. For two days before the putsch, RCTV preempted regular programming and ran wall-to-wall coverage of a general strike aimed at ousting Chavez. A stream of commentators spewed nonstop vitriolic attacks against him -- while permitting no response from the government.
Then RCTV ran nonstop ads encouraging people to attend a march on April 11 aimed at toppling Chavez and broadcast blanket coverage of the event. When the march ended in violence, RCTV and Globovision ran manipulated video blaming Chavez supporters for scores of deaths and injuries.
After military rebels overthrew Chavez and he disappeared from public view for two days, RCTV's biased coverage edged fully into sedition. Thousands of Chavez supporters took to the streets to demand his return, but none of that appeared on RCTV or other television stations. RCTV News Director Andres Izarra later testified at National Assembly hearings on the coup attempt that he received an order from superiors at the station: "Zero pro-Chavez, nothing related to Chavez or his supporters.... The idea was to create a climate of transition and to start to promote the dawn of a new country." While the streets of Caracas burned with rage, RCTV ran cartoons, soap operas and old movies such as "Pretty Woman." On April 13, 2002, Granier and other media moguls met in the Miraflores palace to pledge support to the country's coup-installed dictator, Pedro Carmona, who had eliminated the Supreme Court, the National Assembly and the Constitution.
Would a network that aided and abetted a coup against the government be allowed to operate in the United States? The U.S. government probably would have shut down RCTV within five minutes after a failed coup attempt -- and thrown its owners in jail. Chavez's government allowed it to continue operating for five years, and then declined to renew its 20-year license to use the public airwaves. It can still broadcast on cable or via satellite dish.
From http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artn
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:3, Informative)
I really have other things I need to attend to right now, if you want to message me, or email me or something I can provide you with much more information. Really, I'm fighting off enough other comments, and I do have some work to do.
Re:Put in some perspective... (Score:5, Informative)
Here we go,
Complaining about it would only make them look like whiners. Is this the best you can do?
Participation
75% of registered voters participated in the December 2006 election. More than 15,000 Communal Councils formed in 2006 that give neighborhoods power to make local decisions. Massive community participation in government social missions.
Free and Fair Elections
Eleven internationally observed national elections in last eight years. Government promotes voter registration. Independent National Electoral Council oversees elections. Standardized voting machines nationwide produce paper trail. Opposition claims of fraud exhaustively investigated. Constitution provides for recall of any elected official.
Freedom of Press
Hundreds of new independent community media outlets. 2005 reform increased state control of airwaves. Media highly polarized. Private media strongly critical of Chávez, supported coup in 2002 and oil lockout in 2002-2003. Public media strongly supportive. Non-renewal of RCTV license widely criticized; decision is constitutional.
Varied Political Parties
77 parties participated in December 2006 election. Chávez wants to consolidate support in one "United Socialist Party," says parties that don't join "can leave."
Freedom of Assembly, Expression, Speech
No extralegal retaliation by Chávez after 2002 coup. Political repression much decreased. Freedom to demonstrate highly respected. PROVEA, Venezuelan NGO, reports 4.5% of 1300 demonstrations in 2006 were "repressed, blocked, or obstructed," a 70% decrease from 1997-98.
Private Property
Constitutional requirement of payment for nationalization honored. Opposition fears of unpaid expropriation not borne out. 2001 Land Law calls for unused state land and large, unproductive latifundio holdings to be redistributed to campesinos. Government promises to compensate at market rate for land.
Equality
Constitution covers gender, rights for the poor, campesinos, and indigenous, but omits race. Tremendous improvements for poor. Society still machista, individualist, and discriminatory. Treatment of non-Chávez supporters questionable: some government institutions do not employ people who supported 2004 Recall Referendum.
Checks and Balances
Five independent, autonomous branches of government. Grant of temporary "rule by decree" power criticized by opposition and U.S., but is constitutional; used by at least three other presidents. Chávez criticized for reform of Supreme Court; critics claim court stacking.
Transparency
Chávez fairly transparent, but many government officials are not. Little progress curing government and police corruption inherited from past. One of highest crime rates in the world; no improvement under Chávez. Prison conditions still abusive.
Constitution
1999 Constitution written with massive popular participation; passed with 72% support in referendum. Protects human rights and democracy; promotes social justice. Chávez has explicitly followed the Constitution. Constitutional Reform can start in National Assembly or at request of 15% of registered voters.
Economic Human Rights
Poverty and unemployment down, minimum wage and social spending up. Venezuela declared itself free of illiteracy in October 2005. Free universal education, including university. Free universal health care and drug rehabilitation. More than 180,000 cooperatives registered since 1998.
Community and Workplace Democracy
Chávez requires communities to organize to receive government aid. Co-ops, community councils, and co-managed factories promoted with state incentives. Government encourages endogenous development based on democracy and collective production.
Original source / relevant link:
Yes! Magazine
What the FUCK are you talking about? What drug
Re:Your answer below. (Score:3, Informative)
The Revolution will not be televised. You can watch it on google video.
Additionally, the broadcasts are located on youtube, tough to find but worth it.
And as always there are many more reports from people actually there. You're going to have to commit your own research project to gain some of this information, but I've given you a start on at least that part.
To be fair to the opposition, you will also here "debunkings". It will be up to you to research and make your own decisions.
Re:Jails? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:no bets here... (Score:2, Informative)
I'd say it's pretty hard to love Chavez if he's busy throwing your peers in prison and seizing business that you own or have a stake in. Chavez is hugely popular because he's sticking it to the rich guys and the Americans, but after a while, when this doesn't make the life of the common man any better than it was before Chavez (or actually makes it worse after private and foreign investment has dried up and gone to friendlier countries), then Chavez will just be another failed socialist dictatorial demogogue holding onto power by force and oppression.
Re:Jails? (Score:5, Informative)
Seriously. Let's look at some other countries in the region concerning opposition TV stations, shall we? (re, Diana Cariboni)
1. Colombia:
"In October 2004, the Uribe administration closed the public Instituto de Radio y Televisión (Inravisión),? which aired "documentaries that were often awkward for the government."
2. Honduras:
"President Manuel Zelaya ordered all TV and radio stations to broadcast 10 daily one-hour programmes during prime time, starting Monday, to counteract what he called "misinformation" on his administration provided by the press.
"Honduran law stipulates that nationally broadcast messages (known as "cadena nacional") can only be used to call elections or in case of natural disasters or emergencies."
3. Nicaragua:
In 2002, during the administration of Enrique Bolaños, the radio station La Poderosa, aligned with former president Arnoldo Alemán, had their equipment seized without any legal proceedings.
4. Venezuelan opposition:
"[I]n 2003, Caracas Mayor Alfredo Peña, an outspoken Chávez opponent, also closed down the community station Catia TV for several days."
5. Mexico:
Oaxacan newpaper Diario Noticias, which "is openly critical of [?] Governor Ulises Ruiz, has been the target of attacks since 2005, including assaults on its journalists and attempts to evict the staff from the paper's offices."
6. Uruguay:
In 1994 President Luis Alberto Lacalle "stripped the CX 44 Radio Panamericana station of its licence after it urged the public to take part in a
demonstration."
Now, hey, let's go back to Venezuela. Let's look at that great and honorable privately owned Venezuelan media system. Back during the coup, the station was nothing but nonstop pro-coup propaganda: video after video of the anti-chavez side with hardly a shot of the pro-chavez side, with constantly mentioning reports of Chavez supporters shooting at opponents and none of the reports of the opposite. When the counter-coup happened? They avoided news and played soap operas and the like instead. Before and after the coup? Potshots at Chavez all the time.
How did the opposition get ahold of all of the major networks? Because the opposition owns most of the country, period. They're the same "upper class" that's been around for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Spanish colonialism.
Re:Will Hugo Chavez show more tolerance? (Score:3, Informative)
I've seen some of these so-called "debunkings". They do nothing other than raise doubts (which anyone can do about almost anything) without sufficient evidence to confirm those doubts. If you look around, you can find debunkings of the so-called "debunkings".
But there's an obvious reason not to even bother with that: the debunkings of TRWNBT are all, as far as I can see, produced by opposition supporters. In contrast, the Revolution Will Not Be Televised was made by a bunch of Irish state broadcasters who just happened to be there at the time. Can anyone tell me why RTE has any reason to be biased? I can tell you plenty of reasons why the opposition supporters have reason to be biased. The RTE people simply reported what happened. Anything else is just someone trying to spread disinformation.
Whatever Chavez has done, he has not yet refused to hold elections and he has been elected numerous times now in elections that have been certified by observers as legitimate. So the opposition should just suck it up. And who cares about that TV station. IIRC, they are the ones that used to refer to Chavez as "the nigger" on air. If a US TV station using the public airwaves said that about Jesse Jackson, it would be pulled in short order.
Re:Live Lesson on the Rise of a Tyrant (Score:3, Informative)
He has more than 40 years in power, has never been elected in free elections, killed thousands to seize power and imprisons disenters. How is that not a tyrant?
Things would be great in that country if not for the stupid american embargo.
Things would be great if that country were a democracy were education and hard work facilitated social mobility.
They keep saying they are a world power in medicine and technology. If they are as great as their supporters say, they would not need to deal with the empire.
In fact, if communism is so great how come its poverty is blamed on them being unable to do business with a capitalist country?
BTW, they do business with other capitalist countries.
The business is basically that a foreign company operates and pays the government for the labor provided by Cubans and take big profits. Basically, a new form of slavery.
Forgive me for thinking the "diguise" of universal healthcare was a good idea. Its clearly a communist plot instated by a greedy power mad tyrant.
Universal health care can exist in free and non-free countries.
Do you americans ever read history books not written by americans? I mean seriously. The "Cuba is teh evil" line is so fucking 30 years ago, and it wasnt even true then!
I am not American and I have never read an American history book. (Actually I am American, just not from USA. I still do not understand why that country named itself with the name of the continent. It is as if Italy renamed themselves Europe.)