The government of Uruguay ordered the closing of 74 community broadcasters for noncompliance with a law past last Nov. 1, reported the newspaper El País. According to the government, 20 of the broadcasters were proselytizing, added the newspaper.
The Regulatory Unit of Communication Services said it made the decision based on the recommendation of the Honorary Advisory Council of Community Radio Broadcasters of the National Census of Community Radio, according to the website Comunicar Info. The community broadcaster law establishes that "they shall not perform political-partisan or religious proselytizing, nor promote discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age or any other characteristic," the website added.
Those responsible for the stations were ordered to cease broadcasts immediately or suffer sanctions, including the seizure of their equipment, reported the website Emisoras Comunitarias.
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.
