On Friday, Feb. 17, a Venezuelan court began hearing the appeal of Globovisión to overturn a $2.1 million fine, according to the newspaper El Diario. The Globovisión television news agency has been critical of Hugo Chavez's government, and the fine was levied against the station in October of 2011 for its reporting.
The National Chamber of the Radio and TV Industry (CIRT in Spanish), which represents the majority of the radio and TV companies in Mexico, announced that it would appeal to international bodies to denounce the current electoral law, which limits freedom of expression and press freedom, reported the newspaper El Universal.
Community radio station, Ibicoara FM, was set on fire the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the city of Ibicoara, located in the Brazilian state of Bahía, reported the blog Minuto Notícias. The door of the station had been forced open, and all of the broadcast equipment was burned.
The vehicle of television journalists from TV Clube was attacked Thursday, Feb. 2, when the reporting crew, affiliated with the channel TV Record, was preparing to cover a Carnival event in the center of the Brazilian city of Recife, reported Portal PS.
Bullet holes were found in the side of the offices of TV Oeste, an affiliate of the Brazilian broadcaster TV Bahia, on the morning of Jan. 4, in the northeastern city of Barreiras, reported the website G1. According to witnesses, two men on a motorcycle drove up to the building and fired three shots into its facade.
A news team for the Venezuelan television broadcaster Globovisión was detained by the country's Bolivarian National Guard as they tried to cover an oil spill in the community of Pararí, in the state of Monagas, reported the International Freedom of Expression Exchange on Jan. 27.
A reporting team for the Venezuelan television broadcaster RCTV was attacked at the Central University of Venezuela's (UCV in Spanish) communications school while covering violence that erupted after the release of student election results on Jan. 18, reported the organization Public Space.
Taking advantage of YouTube's massive audience -- the online site streams 4 billion videos a day and one hour of video is uploaded every second -- the Reuters news agency has announced the launch of Reuters TV, which will offer 10 different shows on the Reuters YouTube channel, according to Mashable.
Following the Mexican Electoral Court's decision to investigate more than 60 radio and television stations for interviewing candidates for the governorship of the state of Michoacán, the National Congress of the Radio and Television Industry sent a letter to the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE in Spanish) asking for clarification of the rules regarding the broadcasting of debates, reported the newspaper Milenio.
Controversial businessman Rupert Murdoch's media giant News Corp. and Colombia's RCN Televisión announced a partnership to launch a Spanish-language television channel in the United States to compete with Univision and Telemundo, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The Spanish language news agency EFE and the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation named five Latin American journalists winners of the King of Spain Journalism Awards on Jan. 12, reported EFE.
The Ecuadoran Attorney General and judicial police seized transmission equipment and closed the radio station Perla Orense on Jan. 7, in the southwestern El Oro province, reported Fundamedios.