Media News - Friday, September 18, 2009

Argentine lower house approves media reform law

Argentina’s lower house of Congress approved on Thursday a broadcast reform bill being pushed by President Cristina Fernandez that critics say will increase state control over the media. The bill, which supporters defend saying it will make the airwaves more democratic, will now be sent to the Senate, where it could face closer scrutiny. More than 100 opposition lawmakers walked out of the lower house vote to protest the bill, which has pitted Fernandez against the Grupo Clarin media group in her latest showdown with a powerful business sector. Lawmakers voted 146 to 3 early Thursday morning after more than 14 hours of acrimonious debate and opponents stormed out. Center-left leader Fernandez says her reform of decades-old media regulations will restrict the number of licences controlled by dominant media players and allow smaller players and non-profit groups more access to broadcast frequencies. Critics say her main motive is to crush the influential Grupo Clarin conglomerate, and opposition politicians question elements of the reform such as the way the state will be able to assign frequencies in small cities and towns. (Reuters via Media Network )

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