Smuggled. A provision in the public sector debt law for fiscal year 2026, approved by the Congress of the Republicforces the National Institute of Radio and Television (IRTP) to broadcast parliamentary activities live for a minimum of two hours through Channel 7 and National Radio.
The measure also establishes that the broadcast media broadcast a daily summary of the legislative work and debates of the Parliament Plenary. Likewise, the rule indicates that, through digital terrestrial television (DTT) channels, the entire development of the plenary hearings be transmitted.
“This transmission complements the daily summary established in article 1, prioritizing universal access and transparency of plenary events, without prejudice to other IRTP signals,” the rule reads.
Likewise, the law that will come into force from January 1, 2026, adds that the IRTP must incorporate the television signal of Congress into one of its available channels of the satellite hub system for its nationwide broadcast on a permanent basis, “twenty-four hours a day or for the entire duration of the satellite services contracted by the Congress.” IRTP“.
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Provision would benefit Congressmen seeking re-election
In dialogue with La República, the former head of the IRTP, Hugo Coya, expressed his surprise that Congress had approved this measure through a debt law, something that – he said – had never happened. Furthermore, he explained that, with this change, the Parliament channel would become part of the IRTP, thereby eliminating the separation that existed between the Executive and Legislative channels.
Likewise, Coya questioned that, with this provision, congressmen seeking re-election in 2026 will have greater opportunities to be noticed, while new candidates for public office will not, since they would only have a few seconds in the electoral slot.
On the other hand, the former head of the IRTP warned that those most affected by this measure would be the citizens who live in the most remote areas of the country. As he explained, by only counting on the signals of TV Perú or Radio Nacional to find out about other candidates, they would be forced to listen to the sessions of the Plenary Session or the Congressional commissions.
“The rules of equity that should exist in an electoral process are being changed,” he criticized.
Children and young people will be the most harmed by the approval of Congress
On the other hand, Coya warned that children and young people would be the most affected by Congress’s decision. He explained that, since a budget was not allocated to broadcast parliamentary sessions, the IRTP would be forced to move its children’s, educational and cultural programming to make room for the contents of the Legislature.
And not only that, staff would have to be transferred to the legislative chamber so that all committee sessions could be broadcast. “It is a huge waste of resources that should be allocated for other purposes,” he said.
“All those homeschooling programs that are important are going to be displaced. Imagine watching a program ‘I Learn at Home’ for children and, suddenly, the plenary session of Congress has to start, they are going to have to interrupt the programming and they are going to have to see the congressmen. It is an aberration, but more worrying is that it is done in the middle of the electoral process,” he said.
“Those who benefit are the congressmen who are up for re-election. Those who are harmed are children, young people, native peoples, the number of citizens who are going to be harmed by this decision is enormous, especially the remote areas that only have one information signal,” he stated.
