Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Alliance Against Corruption (Adocco), filed with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) a complaint and request to initiate an ex officio investigation process for the revocation of the broadcasting concession granted to the companies. Interamerica Broadcasting & Production Company and Trendy, operators of channels 7 and 21, for violation of the General Telecommunications Law that prohibits media outlets from being controlled by foreign capital.
Julio César de la Rosa Tiburcio, president of Adocco, explained that these concessions were illicitly transferred to a foreign company, violating Law No. 153-98.
According to the complaint, the transfer was approved at the time by Indotel under the premise that the companies were of Dominican capital, but it was discovered that “the foreign company maintains the majority shareholding in the company that currently manages the channels.”
De la Rosa Tiburcio indicated that, in 2019, Indotel annulled the transfer of channel frequencies through resolution 072-19 since Telecommunications Law 153-98 prohibits the media from being in the hands of foreign companies or foreigners. Despite this, television channels continue to operate illegally.
Read:Indotel closes station and illegal internet business in Cotuí
When filing the complaint, Adocco included several evidence of the violation of the law, such as a certification from the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo Domingo that shows that the company that manages the frequencies is majority foreign-owned, with only one 1% in Dominican hands.
“We have presented to Indotel the certification of the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo where we demonstrate that this company is 99% foreign and that only the person who appears in charge of them is Dominican with barely 1%, which means that it is a violation of Law 153-98 and that is why we have proceeded to file this complaint,” he explained.
The complaint also contemplates that Mr. José Miguel Bonetti be investigated for having illicitly associated with foreigners “to transfer without complying with a public order law on telecommunications that prohibits control by foreigners of television stations.”
The president of ADOCCO pointed out that Bonetti wanted the companies to be perceived as having Dominican capital. “José Miguel Bonetti is a person who illicitly associated himself with a foreigner and made it look like the company was 100% Dominican capital.”
He recalled that the illegality of this operation has led to several legal processes that have concluded in several favorable rulings for the Dominican State, including a resolution of the Superior Administrative Court that ratified the Indotel decision, and a ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice in January of 2023 that confirmed this illegality.
De la Rosa Tiburcio expressed his confidence that the new management of Indotel will take action: “We hope and, knowing those who are in charge of Indotel, we know that this will be followed up because we are facing a situation of illegality.”
He proposed that the channel frequencies should be taken over by the Dominican State and that an open and transparent auction be held. “That frequency, which is property of the State, must be taken back and Indotel must proceed to hold an auction so that those interested in acquiring this frequency can do so,” he proposed.
The president of Adocco concluded that the irregularities committed must be sanctioned. “Responsibilities must be established with those Dominicans who agreed to play into his hands so that a strategic asset such as the media is in the hands of foreigners.”
ADOCCO reiterated its commitment to defend legality and ensure that the media in the Dominican Republic remain under Dominican control, in accordance with national laws.
