Posted on 12/03/2006 4:56:47 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Officials identifying themselves as members of a state regulatory agency forced the U.S.-based Spanish-language TV network Telemundo to halt transmission Sunday of its presidential election coverage.
"We're surprised by this," said Pablo Iacub, a member of Telemundo's eight-person team, which arrived last week. "We only want to do our work," he said by telephone.
At least six people who identified themselves as members of the National Commission of Telecommunications (CONATEL), which regulates electronic media in Venezuela, arrived Sunday afternoon at the hotel from which Telemundo had been transmitting since Friday, said Iacub.
The officials said the network needed permission to transmit and lacking such could not, he said. Iacub said he was unaware of such a requirement but that the Telemundo journalists were accredited with Venezuela's national elections council.
Iacub said the Telemundo team asked how they could obtain permission and, after an hour, were told that they would not be able to transmit.
Telephone calls to Conatel offices seeking comment on the incident went unanswered.
Telemundo Communications Group is owned by NBC Universal Inc., which is controlled by General Electric Co. It claims to reach about 93 percent of Hispanic households in the U.S. and also has viewers in Mexico.
Not a surprise.
It's easier to hide the theft and have Jimmy Carter declare you the winner if the world can't see it.
Paging Jimmy Carter ... paging Jimmy Carter ... please pick up the nearest courtesy phone.
If they had a war going on down there it might be justifiable to muzzle the press. In Iraq, for example. But Venezuela is nowhere near a war condition. They simply want to show their totalitarian hand.
So, as Churchill might have said on this occasion: "... an iron curtain has descended across the Continent..."
Yep. When the riots start or the mass protests at Chavez's "win" begin to swell, no need to put the riot police on TV in America or in Venezuela. Nice quiet put down and then Chagvez can go like nothing happened.
Opinion: Sounds like Chavez is taking control-the-media tips from his Iranian buddy Ahmadinejad.
"Sorry, Jimmy is busy digging a hole in Georgia"
ROTFLMAO...I
"Sorry, Jimmy is busy digging a hole in Georgia"
Hopefully in his front yard.
McCain-Feingold, Marxist style.
Actually in the case of the despicable Russ Feingold, McCain-Feingold IS Marxist.
Chevy has won. There's only one guy running....for life.
"What's the Frequency Hugo?"
Bad move by Chavez. Hope it costs him dearly. For good.
Hugo probably doesn't want his cheatin' to be televised. But, if hes got ole Jimmah there he will surely cover for monkey face Chavez.
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