"The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) express deep concern over a bill to be debated tomorrow in the Legislative Assembly to amend Costa Rica’s Radio and Television Law. They warn that a disproportionate financial burden that could force media outlets off the air would pose a serious threat to media pluralism and the public’s right to seek, receive, and impart information.
The legislative initiative, Bill No. 24,461, scheduled for a second debate tomorrow, establishes a progressive fee for over-the-air television that could reach 7.73% of annual gross revenues, according to the text of the bill reviewed by the organizations.
The IAPA and CPJ recognize the Costa Rican state’s authority to regulate the use of the radio frequency spectrum and to establish a reasonable fee for the use of a public resource. However, they consider it essential that any such financial burden be based on objective, technical, proportionate, and transparent criteria, and that it does not directly or indirectly creates conditions that make media operations economically unviable."
