The director of the National Audiovisual Communication Services (Secan), Gerardo Sotelo, decided not to broadcast on channel 5 the debate between senators Óscar Andrade, from the Broad Front, and Guido Manini Ríos, from Cabildo Abiertoon the 135 articles of the law of urgent consideration (LUC) that will be submitted to a referendum on March 27.
Although Channel 5 was listed as one of the broadcasters of the debate on the plaque used by both participants to broadcast the debate, finally the owner of the public media decided not to broadcast it.
”Is for keep equanimity of the public channel. We cannot guarantee the same space to all the actors,” explained Sotelo in dialogue with The Observer. ”We ran the risk that the public channel would end up endorsing a single debate. We would have been in debt or in default with other actors. I wish we had the people and the disposition to put together a schedule of debates,” he lamented.
The debate will be on February 22 and will be broadcast by the cables of the interior and Cardinal TV. The public media will broadcast it through their digital platforms but not on television.
In addition, the director of the Secan assures that ”It has nothing to do with the participants” and that, on the contrary, both Manini Ríos and Andrade are “usually interviewed” on other public media programs.
On the other hand, Sotelo allows himself to question the debate format and its inclusion in a state media: “Is the role of the public channel in a campaign to debate white against black?” “I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s not the only way -he answers-, and perhaps it is not the most instructive to show the positions that both sides have with respect to the LUC”. “It is a format that tends to exacerbate positions”said the director of public media.
Although other debates have already been recorded in private media, it is the first that includes the leader of Cabildo Abierto and the communist senator.
Andrade questioned the decision
Óscar Andrade expressed himself on his Twitter account regarding Sotelo’s decision.
“In just twenty-four hours, an unusual change of criteria,” he criticized. “Where was the decision made? There are decisions that make us very sad. We all lose,” concluded the senator.
In just twenty-four hours an unusual change of criteria.
Where was the decision made?
There are decisions that give a lot of sadness.
We all lose. pic.twitter.com/yt7SLb3arL– Óscar Andrade (@Oandradelallana) February 16, 2022
