By Joseph Vavrus
There are several new updates in the political process surrounding Ecuador’s polemic Communications Law:
The deadline for a final version of the bill has been extended to July 2nd, giving legislators 12 days to add or remove provisions, Hoy reports.
A proposal by ruling party legislator María Augusta Calle to require degrees for “professional journalists” passed committee, El Comercio adds.
In a different article, El Comercio says that Calle has also proposed several new regulations for TV and radio frequencies. These limit the portion of signals that nation-wide broadcasters can use to 40 percent and require that signal renewal be subject to a 10-year review that ensures media outlets comply with the “public interest.”
Lastly, President Rafael Correa says if the bill "goes badly" due to controversy surrounding a proposed communications council, he would simply “archive” the bill and use the existing regulatory infrastructure, El Diario explains.
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.
