By Maira Magro
The Brazilian government is preparing the first version of a bill to establish a new regulatory framework for telecommunications, which includes a new National Communications Agency (Agência Nacional de Comunicação – ANC) with the power to regulate radio and TV content, Folha de S. Paulo reports.
The ANC would be responsible for granting and renewing transmission licenses, as well fining companies that broadcast programming that is considered offensive, prejudiced, or inappropriate for the hour it is aired, Folha explains. According to Band, National Cinema Agency’s responsibilities would pass to the ANC, while the National Telecommunications Agency will continue to remain in charge of communications infrastructure and more technical regulation issues.
The bill, under the working title of General Social Communication Law, was created under the supervision of Communications Minister Franklin Martins.
Opposition lawmakers have criticized the bill, arguing that it would censor radio and TV.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
