1. PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND MEDIA
REGULATION IN LATIN AMERICA
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI, FINLAND
Dr. Carolina Matos
Government Department
Essex University

2. Core readings
• Barnett, Steven and Ivor Gaber. 2001. “The crisis in political journalism: an
outline of the argument” in The Westminster tales: the twenty-first century
crisis in British political journalism, London: Continuum, 1-11
• Blumler, Jay G. and Gurevitch, Michael. 1995. The Crisis of Public
Communication, London: Routledge, 97-111
• Buckman, Robert T. 1996. “Current States of the Mass Media in Latin
America” in Cole, Richard (eds.) Communications in Latin America –
Journalism, Mass Media and Society, Wilmington: Scholarly Resources, 3-
37
• Guedes-Bailey, Olga and Jambeiro Barbosa, Othon F. 2008. “The media in
Brazil: a historical overview of Brazilian broadcasting politics” in The
Media in Latin America, Open University Press, 46-61
• Keane, John. 1995. “Structural Transformations of the Public Sphere” in
Scammell, Margaret and Semetko, Holli (eds). 2000. The Media, Journalism
and Democracy, Hants: Dartmouth Publishing Company
• Matos, C. (2012) Media and politics in Latin America: globalization,
democracy and identity, London: I.B. Tauris

3. Key points
• Four lines of inquiry of Media and politics in Latin America: globalization,
democracy and identity (I.B. Tauris, 2012)
• Empirical research and methods
• Future role of public service broadcasting (PSB) in old and new democracies
• Broadcasting in the UK and regulation
• PSB’s tradition versus a citizen’s knowledge of politics
• Public communication structures in Latin America: a history of neglect
• Latin American governments and media reform
• The “private” versus “public” dichotomy in television broadcasting
• Public communications in Brazil: achievements and future challenges
• TV Cultura versus TV Brasil and quotes from interviews
• Conclusions
• Thank you!

4. Four lines of research inquiry in Media and politics in
Latin America (IB Tauris, 2012)
 An evaluation of the historical evolution and the
public broadcasting tradition in the UK and Brazil;
 The relationship between the public media with the
state, public sphere and the public interest;
 The debates on what constitutes ‘quality’
programming and information in both the private
and public media;
 An examination of the ‘crisis’ of civic forms of
communication, and how they can still be relevant.

5. Intellectual framework for comparative analysis
• My aim has been to expand the available knowledge on the media
and political systems of Latin America/Brazil, providing interesting
observations of the region and of more advanced democracies
• Latin American continent has changed significantly since the fall of
dictatorship regimes, with democracy flourishing amid the rise to
power of centre to centre-left wing governments, culminating in new
approaches to foreign policy, efforts of restructuring the state and
welfare programmes;
PSB in comparative perspective
– 1) it assists in the evaluation of the achievements of public
service broadcasting in European countries and its future challenges;
- 2) it can also provide a framework for the development of the PSB
platform in emerging democracies which are seeking to deepen
political democratisation and reduce economic inequalities, thus
contributing to expand debate and to promote wider social and
cultural inclusion (Matos, 2008)

6. Empirical work and survey: multi-triangulation
method
• Online survey applied to 149 communication students at
UFRJ
• Conduction of in depth interviews with 12 journalists and
policy-makers
• Discussion of programmes from the public media, mainly
TV Brasil
• Analyse of the uses of the Internet in political
campaigning and blogging in the 2010 elections:
• a) new media as a counter-public sphere;
• b) gender politics and representation

7. Some survey results
• Survey revealed a lack of knowledge of the public media
• Most watch TV Globo and cable and satellite TV
• That said, 71% of students defended the public media,
stating that it could have a role in correcting market
failure and contributing to democratization
• Most however saw little difference in regards to the type
of information broadcast in commercial and public TV
stations
• Differences however are subtle, regarding style and
choice of programmes, such as emphasis on “serious”
programmes over heavy entertainment

8. Future role for PSB in old and new
democracies
In the UK, PSB has emerged as vehicle for
strengthening debate.
Talk became more spontaneous and less
constrained (Scannell, 1995)
As a vehicle for cultural and educational emancipation;
boost of political diversity as well as both regional and
national integration
Functioning as a counterweight to the market – the
necessity of multiple public spheres and media to attend
to both citizen and consumer demands
Is a truly independent public media possible?

9. Broadcasting in the UK and regulation
* The state’s participation in the ownership or regulation of the
broadcast media in liberal European democracies has been based
upon the need to guarantee standards of ‘neutrality’, minimising
political bias....
• Set up under the 2003 Communications bill, the UK’s broadcasting
regulator, Ofcom, has been an example of reference in media
regulation in Europe;
• British newspapers operate on a system of self-regulation (i.e.
Press Complaints Commission is an independent self-regulatory
body)
• Government in Brazil debates creation of new communication
agency, similar to Ofcom.

10. Broadcasting in the UK and regulation continued
According to Forgan and Tambini (2000, 03,
in Santos e Silveira, 2007, 73), PSB
regulation in the UK improved through time;
• Dunleavy (1987) has argued how public
service broadcasting regulation in the UK has
managed to act as a counter-weight to the
press, neutralising or balancing the biases of
the partisan British tabloids ;
• Regulation in the UK has also been
supported by various regulation bodies who
have established different codes of conduct.

11. PSB tradition versus citizens’ knowledge of politics
BBC is pointed out by researchers as being able
to deliver more elections news, produce longer
stories of greater substance and give more
attention to minority parties
Studies (i.e. Curran, 2007; Scammell and
Semetko, 2005) have shown how certain
countries with a strong PSB tradition, like Britain
with its dual system and the Scandinavian
nations, where the state subsides minority media
outlets, citizens have more knowledge of politics
and international affairs than countries where the
commercial media system predominates (in
Matos, 2008)

12. Latin American governments and media reform
• Brazil and Mexico, with stronger national production markets and
audiences, registered lower levels of media concentration and higher
diversity compared to other smaller countries in the region
• Governments in Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay and
Bolivia have acted to promote media democratization through the
creation of regulatory frameworks and public systems of
communication
• Argentina is being seen as an example by many experts
• In the first government of Kirchner (2007-2011), the approval of the
Law 26.522 – Lei de Servicos de Comunicacao Audio-visual,
substituted previous legislation from the dictatorship
• Law proposed limits on the power of media conglomerates,
preventing any private TV company from owning more than 35% of
the media, stating that licenses should be renewed every 10 years
instead of after 20 as well as quotas for local production.

13. Public communication infrastructure in Latin America:
a history of neglect
 State intervention in South America has had the aim of reinforcing
governmental powers rather than promoting democratic communications
(Waisbord, 2000; Matos, 2008).
 Broadcasting has been built on a combination of political control and
limited regulation. Educational and state channels are mainly owned by
sectors of the Church and politicians.
 National broadcasting policies have also been traditionally aligned with
political interests and state control.
 Debates on the necessity of broadcasting and media reform and regulation
culminated in the first realization of a conference on the theme in 2009 (i.e.
Confecom debates)

14. The “public” versus “private” media

15. ‘Private’ versus ‘public’ dichotomy
Private Public
Right/Conservative/Centre/Left – the
consumer
Centre/Left/Liberal/some
conservatives - citizen
‘Objective’ and informational
journalism
‘Objective’/’public’/’serious’ journalism
Talk shows/sit-coms/reality TV –
American programming, some content
from other countries
Realism in films/documentaries/reality
TV – ‘arty’ and European
programming, some US material
Advertising/aesthetic of consumerism
– self/intimacy/the private sphere (i.e.
Sci-fi, horror)
‘Quality’ aesthetic/Challenging
material - collective/the public sphere
Dreamy/fantasy/’escapism’ texts –
occasional ‘serious’ material
Historical material/in depth analyses –
some entertainment (i.e. Soaps,
drama, sci-fi, horror).

16. Table 1 – Radio and TV stations controlled by
politicians in Brazil (1994) (Source: Lima (2001: 107)
(in Azevedo, 2006, 34)
Channels Total Brazil Current
politicians and
past
Per cent
TV 302 94 31.12%
Radio 2908 1169 40.19%

17. Public communications in Brazil: achievements and
future challenges
Achievements of the last years include the realization of
the Confecom debates; the implementation of TV Brasil
and commitments towards media regulation
Ministry of Communications of former government has
identified five areas to tackle:
1) creation of a new regulatory framework;
2) regulation of article 221 of the Brazilian Constitution;
3) author’s copy rights;
4) Internet regulation
5) public TV regulation.

18. Public communications in Brazil: achievements and
future challenges
Genuine public media does not exist in Brazil, but educational
stations controlled by the state or others which represent the
Legislative, Executive or Judicial powers (i.e. TV Senado);
• Scholars believe that only a new regulatory framework for the
media can be capable of contemplating differences between
the state and public TVs in relation to commercial sector
• Programme for the communication sector of the Lula
candidature in 2006 underscored that democratization of
communications was necessary to deepen democracy
• Auto-regulation of newspapers is being proposed by National
Association of Newspapers (ANJ), praised by Unesco

19. Facts and figures on public communications and
broadcasting in Brazil
 Government is preparing to put up for public consultation media reform
proposals
 Last Lula government submitted a text to the Dilma government with
proposals from the Confecom debates
 Changes to the current legislation on broadcasting, the Codigo Brasileiro de
Telecomunicacoes, which dates to 1962. The latter combined the
authoritarianism of the Vargas regime, such as power to distribute licences,
with economic liberalism
 Aim of new regulation for broadcasting is to make the process of TV and
radio concessions more transparent and quick
 Idea is that there would be one regulatory agency for communications.
Anatel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes) would gain more
attributions and a new name (Agencia Nacional de Comunicacao)

20. TV Cultura versus TV Brasil
• EBC, which controls TV Brasil, was launched in December 2007
• Current restructuring of TV Cultura and TV Brasil to attend to
multiple publics, with TV Cultura forming partnerships with
newspapers such as Folha
• TV Cultura is seen as aligned with the government of Sao Paulo, of
the PSDB, whereas TV Brasil is linked to the federal administration
(i.e. accused by the opposition when it was launched of being the “TV
Lula”)
• Academics and journalists are weary about media reform (i.e.
Gabriel Priolli: “If FHC couldn’t do it, Lula either, I doubt Dilma will.”)
• Sites: www.tvbrasil.ebc.com.br
• www.tvcultura.cmais.com.br
• www.redeglobo.globo.com

21. Quotes from interviews
‘ ...always when a government destined resources to the
public TV, it wanted to be compensated by a positive
representation..... We have not yet fully incorporated the
notion that the public television attends to citizenship rights.....
If we really have a strengthening of the public media – which
will only be ‘public’ if it is really independent of governments –
we will have advanced historically....In Brazil the idea that the
government should interfere in social communications is like a
multi-party consensus. We can see that no public television
has total autonomy..The average mentality of politicians in that
respect is still very backward....’
(Eugenio Bucci, journalist and former Radiobras president)

22. Quotes from interviews
‘In 2005, when the mensalao scandals emerged, that was when they
‘sold’ the idea to Lula to have TV Brasil, of having a strong public
network capable of competing with the private, as the government
wanted a media which could be more favourable...The government
wanted an instrument to defend itself, and it convinced itself that it
was important. This is a contradiction with the real role that public TV
should have....There is actually a lot of idealism and hypocrisy in this
whole discussion... People say that all you need is another option to
TV Globo for people to change channels, but the reality is that they
do not, they do not change to TV Brasil. I believe that this issue has
a direct relation to education as well, for a better quality education
produces audiences of better quality.....more sensitive
and....interested in watching the public media....’
(Gabriel Priolli, vice-director of journalism of TV Cultura)

23. Challenges for public communications and media
reform in Brazil
• Reluctance of market sectors and some media organisations
(i.e. fears of media censorship, control of content, competition,
etc)
• Break the false equation of regulation with censorship
• Scholars believe that only a new regulatory framework for the
media can be capable of contemplating differences between
the state, the public and commercial sector
• Study of other European regulation models (i.e. UK and
Portuguese)
• Document discussed in the Chamber of Deputies underlines
the importance of the State in taking on responsibility for
policies for public communications (i.e. guarantee funds)

24. Some conclusions
*
* More support for community radio, funding for
segmented media outlets and magazines
1) Building of a broadcasting regulatory framework
committed to the public interest and independent;
2) reinforcement of balance and professionalism in
newsrooms, including regulation of the journalism
profession and auto-regulation of the press;
3) Fortifying of the public media platform, TV, radio and
the Internet, followed by an engagement with the debate
over “quality”
4) Strengthening of regional, local and alternative media
5) Wider access to less privileged sectors of the
population to the Internet throughout Latin America