Chavez to shut down opposition TV

[beckers]

And here he goes again. Does anyone doubt that this man is trying to be come a dictator? He might be come an Archbishop of a state sponsored religion. And now he wants to not renew a TV station because they dare to criticize him. Can you imagine President Bush trying to shut down CBS orABC or CNN if they ran something negative about him??

Beckers​

Chavez to shut down opposition TV
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6215815.stm

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he will not renew the licence for the country’s second largest TV channel which he says expires in March 2007.

In an address to troops, Mr Chavez said he would not tolerate media outlets working towards a coup against him.

Radio Caracas Television, which is aligned with the opposition, supported a strike against Mr Chavez in 2003.

But the TV’s head said there must be some mistake as its licence was not up for renewal in the near future.

Marcel Granier also vowed to fight against the president’s plans in Venezuela’s courts and on the international stage.

The BBC’s Greg Morsbach in Caracas says Mr Chavez has repeatedly threatened to take the TV off the air but has never given a date.
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The move could help silence some of his critics in the media who have been a thorn in his side for several years, he says.

 

[MikeWM]

How much of a free press do some countries run by those who are friendly to US interests have? Uzbekistan, for one example? Saudi Arabia, more potently? And how much attention is paid to that? I can’t help but feel domestic moves Chavez makes are given disproportionate attention just because he opposes the USA.

And, by way of comparison, if say CNN was openly inciting the violent overthrow of the President of the USA, I think people would be lining up to demand the government didn’t renew any appropriate licences for them. There are clearly limits to what can be done without invoking the anger of the government. Whether this channel has done this or not, I’ve no idea, but there was an (unsuccessful) coup, and a lot of misinformation spread about it afterwards by the opponents of Chavez.

Mike

 

[CathCentrist]

As usual MIke, you correct. Short shrift is paid to the other oppressive countries and how they handle media as long as that country is on the good side of the U.S. Its this kind of propaganda and one dimensional thinking that many in the U.S fall into - me included at one time.