The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, strongly condemns the decision by President Hugo Chávez not to renew the broadcast license of the privately-owned Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), Venezuela’s oldest commercial television station.

According to information before IPI, Chávez made the announcement in a speech at a military academy in Caracas on 28 December 2006. He said he would not renew the license for RCTV, which he claims expires in March 2007. “There will be no new operating license for this coupist TV channel”, Chávez said. RCTV’s head, Marcel Granier, maintains that the TV channel’s license is not up for renewal until 2020.

During last year’s presidential election campaign, Chávez suggested that a referendum should be held on the broadcasting concessions held by the four leading private TV stations – Globovisión, RCTV, Televen and Venevisión.

Commenting on the decision, IPI Director Johann P. Fritz said, “IPI believes that RCTV is being targeted for its critical reporting of events in Venezuela.

“We regard the decision not to renew the station’s license to be a flagrant attempt to silence the station’s critical voice and in violation of everyone’s right ‘to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,’ as outlined in Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We therefore urge President Chávez and the responsible authorities to ensure that RCTV is allowed to operate freely and without any further harassment.”