Radio announcer Ivan Carlos de Oliveira Silva was arrested Jan. 26 in the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia, and charged with extorting his former boss: businessman Diogo Medrado, son of Federal Deputy Marcos Medrado of the Democratic Labor Party (PDT). According to A Tarde, the host was fired from the younger Medrado’s station in December and had allegedly asked the businessman for almost $90,000 in cash and a $40,000 car to not release unflattering recordings.
News this week of major cutbacks to BBC World Service, including the end of BBC’s Caribbean service on March 31, has raised concerns over the loss of news for audiences in more than two dozen nations. At the same time, some journalists are pushing for the immediate creation of a Caribbean-based alternative.
Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell, who faced off against former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, was named the vice president of news for the U.S. Spanish-language television station Univisión, reported EFE and Vanguardia on Jan. 21.
A group of truck drivers in front of the printing presses of Argentina's La Nación and Clarín newspapers delayed the distribution of the Dec. 14 editions for more than two and a half hours, the two newspapers report.
Shortly after blasting the traditional media in his first exclusive interview with bloggers, outgoing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva repeated his critique in an exclusive interview with a collective of ten community radio stations.
In a contentious environment heading into the second round of presidential elections taking place Oct. 31, several media outlets have entered the battle.
One day after the sudden death of former Argentine president Nestor Kircher, the stock of the country's largest media conglomerate, the Clarín Group, jumped an unusual 34 percent in Buenos Aires, reported Reuters. The Buenos Aires stock market was closed yesterday for a national holiday.
After legislative threats by the National Assembly, Ecuador’s Banking Board – which regulates the financial system – unanimously overturned a rule that allowed banks to own up to 25 percent of a media outlet, El Universo and El Comercio report.
The Associated Press (AP) news service has appointed a new Latin America and Caribbean editor.
Giant Mexican media company Televisa is making in-roads in the U.S. television market, investing $1.2 billion in debt-ridden Univision Communications Inc., according to Bloomberg. The initial investment gives Televisa a 5 percent stake in Univision, growing to as much as 40 percent eventually.
Approximately 500 members of unions, social movements, and journalism groups gathered at the São Paulo Journalists’ Union offices to demonstrate “In defense of democracy and against media coup-ism,” G1 reports.
Carlos García-Pérez, member of the influential National Cuban American Foundation (FNCA), on Wednesday, Sept. 22, was confirmed as head of Radio and TV Martí, stations financed by the U.S. government to counteract the censorship in Cuba.