Televisa Law
Encyclopedia
The Televisa Law is the name given by the press to the Federal Law of Radio and Television (Spanish: Ley Federal de Radio y Televisión or LFRTV), a controversial law approved by the Congress of Mexico
in 2006, shortly before the presidential election
. This law concentrates on the deregulation of the digital spectrum to be assigned to the two national television networks in the country: Televisa
and TV Azteca
.
This law concedes these two private television networks, free of monetary costs, a public good belong to the Government of Mexico which is the digital frequency spectrum.
This law obtained the votes of the two parties with relative majority in both chambers of congress National Action Party
(PAN) and Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI). However, several senators from both parties objected to this law such as Javier Corral Jurado from the PAN and several others from the PRI. All of the deputies of the third major party in Mexico, the Party of the Democratic Revolution
, the PRD, voted against this law, with Raymundo Cárdenas
, senator for Zacatecas
being one of the most vocal.
Another key supporter of this law was Diego Fernández de Cevallos
, which has previously been criticized for his defense of private parties against the government while acting as a congressperson. Fernández de Cevallos directed harsh criticism towards Javier Corral who opposed the law due to his personal convictions against the generalized opinion of his party. Corral Jurado limited himself to say that he would keep striving for an integral, democratic reform for the electronic media.
The appearance of Jorge Arredondo Martínez, and engineer and president of the Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones
declared after the incisive questioning by Emilio Gamboa Patrón, senator from the PRI, whether the law constituted an advance:
Congress of Mexico
The Congress of the Union is the legislative branch of the Mexican government...
in 2006, shortly before the presidential election
Mexican general election, 2006
A general election was held in Mexico on Sunday, July 2, 2006. Voters went to the polls to elect, on the federal level:*A new President of the Republic to serve a six-year term, replacing then Mexican President Vicente Fox .*500 members to serve for a...
. This law concentrates on the deregulation of the digital spectrum to be assigned to the two national television networks in the country: Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
and TV Azteca
TV Azteca
Azteca, is the second largest Mexican television entertainment. It was established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión , a holding of the national TV networks channel 13 and 7 and was privatized under its current name in 1993 and now is part of Grupo Salinas...
.
This law concedes these two private television networks, free of monetary costs, a public good belong to the Government of Mexico which is the digital frequency spectrum.
Background
One of the main promoters of the Televisa Law was Javier Orozco Gómez, General Attorney of the Grupo Televisa and later federal deputy representing the Partido Verde Ecologista de México and replacement senator for Irma Ortega Fajardo during the presentation of the law.This law obtained the votes of the two parties with relative majority in both chambers of congress National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(PAN) and Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI). However, several senators from both parties objected to this law such as Javier Corral Jurado from the PAN and several others from the PRI. All of the deputies of the third major party in Mexico, the Party of the Democratic Revolution
Party of the Democratic Revolution
The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...
, the PRD, voted against this law, with Raymundo Cárdenas
Raymundo Cárdenas
Raymundo Cárdenas Hernández is a Mexican left-wing politician from Zacatecas affiliated to the Party of the Democratic Revolution who currently serves in the lower house of the Mexican Congress.-Political career:...
, senator for Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
being one of the most vocal.
Another key supporter of this law was Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos Ramos is a Mexican politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party . He was a presidential candidate in the 1994 election and President of the Mexican Senate.-Life and career:...
, which has previously been criticized for his defense of private parties against the government while acting as a congressperson. Fernández de Cevallos directed harsh criticism towards Javier Corral who opposed the law due to his personal convictions against the generalized opinion of his party. Corral Jurado limited himself to say that he would keep striving for an integral, democratic reform for the electronic media.
The appearance of Jorge Arredondo Martínez, and engineer and president of the Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones
Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones
The Federal Commission of Telecommunications is the regulator of telecommunications in Mexico, and is part of the Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transport . Cofetel is roughly equivalent to the Federal Communications Commission in the United States, and Ofcom in the United Kingdom...
declared after the incisive questioning by Emilio Gamboa Patrón, senator from the PRI, whether the law constituted an advance:
Claims of deficiencies of this law
- In May 2007, Sergio Salvador Aguirre AnguianoSergio Salvador Aguirre AnguianoSergio Salvador Aguirre Anguiano is a Mexican jurist and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation....
, minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of the NationSupreme Court of Justice of the NationThe Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation is the highest federal court in the United Mexican States. It consists of a President of the Supreme Court and ten Ministers who are confirmed by the Senate from a list proposed by the President of the Republic.Justices of the SCJN serve for fifteen...
, explained that the article 28 of the Ley Federal de Radio y Televisión established that the granting of concessions violates the articles 1, 25, 27 and 28 of the Constitution of MexicoConstitution of MexicoThe Political Constitution of the United Mexican States is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, by a constitutional convention, during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917...
, and would encourage the concentration of broadcasting and telecommunications in the hands of the current licensees, Televisa and TV Azteca..
- Santiago CreelSantiago CreelSantiago Creel Miranda is a Mexican senator representing the right-of-center National Action Party who served as Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Vicente Fox....
, the former Secretary of InteriorSecretary of the Interior (Mexico)The Mexican Secretary of the Interior is the head of the Secretariat of the Interior, concerned with the country's internal affairs, the presentation of the president's bills to Congress, their publication and certain issues of national security. The country's main intelligence agency, CISEN,...
during the administration of Vicente FoxVicente FoxVicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
, who supported the law declared in 2007, now as senator, that the approval occurred under pressure, that it was not negotiated, but imposed prior to the 2006 presidential election, when "the involved parties where immersed in an intense campaign that required media exposure", and that resulted in legislation "with many defects". Even the opposition has expressed admiration for Creel's courage in exposing the mistakes of the administration he was a member of.
Other reactions
- The Instituto Mexicano de la RadioInstituto Mexicano de la RadioThe Instituto Mexicano de la Radio is a Mexican public broadcaster, akin to National Public Radio in the US. It is also known as IMER...
(Grupo IMER) did not agree with this law because they claimed that if approved, all the radio stations of this group, as well as the television stations Once TVOnce TVOnce TV México, Spanish for México Eleven TV is a Mexican educational broadcast television network owned by Instituto Politecnico Nacional. The network's flagship station is XEIPN channel 11 in Mexico, Distrito Federal. It broadcasts across Mexico through local television affiliates, cable...
, Canal 22XEIMT-TVXEIMT-TV channel 22, also known as "Canal 22", is a cultural and educational television station owned and operated by Televisión Metropolitana S.A...
, EdusatEdusatEl Sistema de Televisión Educativa, known commonly by its network name Edusat, is an educational television network implemented by the Ministry of Public Education of Mexico in 1994...
and TV UNAMXHUNAM-TVXHUNAM low power channel 20 digital, also known as "Teveunam", is an educational television station owned and operated by the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City....
would be forced off the air. All the stations of the Grupo IMER then proceeded to broadcast the same song all day. Which was an allegory to the lack of plurality of the existing monopolies that always "plays the same song", and then a voice with no background music that reminded people that monopolies do not promote diversity and plurality of mass media. This protest against the new media law resulted in a successful action due to its public impact.