[iDC] (no subject)

[mark bartlett]

as an example of what is altruistically, ethically possible! this  
happened in the US in the 70's with the advent of "cable TV" which  
the mandated as "community based." But only as a ploy to take it over  
by corporate interests.

see todays news about the FCC selling local media markets to  
corporate interests so that communication lockdown supercedes Stasi  
East Germany. Every such move erodes "online" freedoms.

m



From: 	  gurstein at gmail.com
	Date: 	December 18, 2007 8:44:32 PM PST
	Subject: 	<incom> FW: [cr-india] Uruguay approves Community  
Broadcasting Bill
	To: 	  ciresearchers at vancouvercommunity.net, cracin- 
canada at vancouvercommunity.net, incom-l at incommunicado.info

This is an extraordinary achievement.  Congratulations to all those  
involved
and to the people of Uruguay!

MG

-----Original Message-----
From: cr-india-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:cr-india-bounces at sarai.net] On
Behalf Of sajan venniyoor
Sent: December 12, 2007 7:39 PM
To: cr-india at sarai.net
Subject: [cr-india] Uruguay approves Community Broadcasting Bill


Check out the new Uruguayan CR Bill. This is what all CR regulation  
should
aspire to be.

1. It sets aside one-third of all radio (AM & FM) *and* television
frequencies for community-based media.
2. Licenses are granted by a council made up of all the stake-holders.
3. There is no fixed transmitter power or coverage area - the range  
depends
on the size of the audience.

I guess we have a long way to go yet.

Sajan

SENATE PASSES COMMUNITY BROADCASTING BILL
http://www.mediaforfreedom.com/ReadArticle.asp?ArticleID=7158

In what the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)  
calls
a "groundbreaking move for freedom of expression in Latin America," the
Uruguayan Senate approved a Community Broadcasting Bill that recognises
community broadcasting in its own right and says television and radio
frequencies should be more equitably distributed.

The bill acknowledges the importance of this "third" broadcasting sector
alongside the state and private sectors, and stipulates that one  
third of
the AM and FM radio airwaves and television broadband will be  
reserved for
community-based media outlets, which AMARC says ensures greater  
diversity of
media ownership.

A new council, made up of government, media, university and free  
expression
representatives, will play a part in granting and renewing  
frequencies and
ensuring that the government does not use frequency allocation to  
indirectly
censor broadcasts.

According to AMARC, the bill does not impose limits on the geographical
range and signal strength of community media outlets, unlike laws in  
Brazil
and Chile. Instead, the bill says the range of coverage will depend  
on the
outlet's purpose and the audience it is trying to reach.

Community broadcasters will also have the right to secure financing  
through
donations, advertising and government grants.

AMARC and other free expression organisations, including IFEX members
ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières,  
RSF),
have been closely following this development as it sets a crucial  
precedent
for the region. AMARC was also involved in drafting the bill. "This  
is the
first time that transparent and non-discriminatory processes for the
allocation of radio and television frequencies have been explicitly  
laid out
in Uruguayan legislation," says AMARC.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives to approve some  
amendments
made by the Senate. According to government officials, the law will be
passed by the end of the year.

Visit these links:
- AMARC: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/87839/
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22492
- ARTICLE 19: http://tinyurl.com/22xkhs
- "IFEX Communiqué" on passage of bill in House of Representatives:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/84084/

(27 November 2007)
Copyright mediaforfreedom.com

_______________________________________________
incom-l mailing list
incom-l at incommunicado.info
http://mail.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/incom-l

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.thing.net/pipermail/idc/attachments/20071218/ad86a087/attachment-0001.htm