JOURNALISM IN THE AMERICAS

Some 206 private radio stations are expected to be closed by the government in the coming days, joining 34 stations in 11 states that were shut down indefinitely over the weekend, CNN International reports. (See this story and clip from the BBC.)

Venezuela’s public works minister, Diosdado Cabello, said the 34 stations were closed for letting their permits expire, failing to update their registration, or broadcasting with licenses issued to individuals no longer living, EFE reports. Cabello was quoted by the opposition TV network Globovisión as saying, “Freedom of expression is not the most sacred freedom."

Demonstrators gathered over the weekend outside the stations and the headquarters of the national telecom regulator, accusing the Hugo Chávez government of being a “dictatorship.” On his Saturday radio address, Chávez said, “We have put (the stations) back in the hands of the people and not the bourgeoisie," AFP says.

Station owners say the closure, which follows a threat issued last month, was politically motivated. Most of the affected broadcasters were local stations with limited ranges, and some focused more on entertainment than politics. Some plan to appeal the closure to the Supreme Court, but Cabello insists the moves were intended to remove media from the control of a small elite and are in strict compliance with the law, EFE adds.