Nortre Visión Satelital, an Argentine media company that broadcasts two television channels and operates two radio stations, denounced an attack that caused the collapse of their broadcast antenna in the northern city of Salta, reported the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA).
The station's owner, Daniel Longarela, told FOPEA that the assailants intentionally cut the tethers that supported the antenna on Oct. 3. Since then, channels 2 and 10 have continued broadcasting but only with low power equipment, while Radio Mitre's broadcasts were completely shut down.
“We are not aware of having any enemies. We do not broadcast opinions for or against. Sometimes we criticize, but we stress the positive points too. We try to stay neutral but it is clear that someone wants to silence us,” Longarela told Reporters Without Borders.
The provincial governor of Salta expressed his support for the station and said they would speed up plans to fence off the area around the antenna and install security cameras, as well as a permanently manned check point, reported the newspaper El Tribuno.
Both FOPEA and Reporters Without Borders urged the authorities to investigate the attack and find those responsible.
Nortre Visión Satelital is not the only broadcaster recently attacked in Argentina. On Sept. 30, an arsonist burned another radio station in Zárate, outside the capital Buenos Aires.
