Media in Colombia

Media in Colombia refers to Media available in Colombia consisting of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. Colombia also has a national music industry.

Many of the media are controlled by large for-profit corporations who reap revenue from advertising, subscriptions, and sale of copyrighted material, largely affected by piracy.

Media in Colombia is regulated by the Ministry of Communications and the National Television Commission.

Many deregulation and convergence have occurred in an attempt by the government to turn the mass media industry in Colombia more competitive, leading to mega-mergers, further concentration of media ownership, and the emergence of multinational media conglomerates. Critics allege that localism, local news and other content at the community level, media spending and coverage of news, and diversity of ownership and views have suffered as a result of these processes of media concentration.

The organization Reporters Without Borders compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. In 2007 Colombia was ranked 126th, within the most dangerous places to be a mass media journalist.

Newspapers

Newspaper media in Colombia date back to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The first newspaper published in Colombia was La Bagatela, edited by Antonio Nariño in 1811. In Colombia the most read and influential newspaper is "El Tiempo", which also has the highest newspaper circulation in the country. It was founded in 1911 by Alfonso Villegas Restrepo and currently owned by Spanish Grupo Planeta.

Another influential newspaper is "El Espectador", founded in 1887 by Fidel Cano, was for many years one of the most important dailies in Colombia but due to a financial crisis its circulation was restricted to one edition weekly since 2001. "El Espacio", founded in 1965 by Ciro Gomez Mejía is the main Yellow journalism newspaper in the country and with "El Tiempo" and the recently founded "El Periódico", the only newspapers of national distribution.

"El Colombiano" newspaper, based in Medellín, is the most influential newspaper in the Paisa Region. Other regional newspapers include "La Crónica del Quindío", "La Opinión", and "El Heraldo de Barranquilla", which covers the area of the Caribbean Region of Colombia. "MIRA" is a tabloid format newspaper with circulation of some 150,000 per week. It is edited by MIRA political party.

The main current issues magazines published in Colombia are:
*Revista Cambio
*Revista Cromos
*Revista Semana

Radio

The country has two major national radio networks: Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia, a state-run national radio; and Radio Cadena Nacional (RCN Radio), a medium-wave (AM) network with many affiliates. There are nine other principal networks, including Cadena Super, which includes Radio Super and Super Stereo FM; and Caracol, which runs several stations, including the flagship station Caracol Colombia. Many hundreds of radio stations are registered with the Ministry of Communications.

*Caracol Radio, founded in Medellín in 1948. It was owned by Julio Mario Santodomingo until 1997, when the network was escinded of Caracol TV and sold to PRISA.
**Los 40 Principales Colombia.
**HJCK. Cultural network. Founded in 1950. Since 2005 it is broadcasted by Internet only.
**Radioacktiva - Planeta Rock. Founded in 1989. Rock music programming.
*RCN Radio. Founded in 1948 by Enrique and Roberto Ramírez. Its main secondary networks are: La Mega (Pop music), Rumba Stereo (Reggaeton), Amor Stereo, Antena 2 (sport broadcasting to 20 cities countrywide), La Cariñosa, El Sol, La FM and Radio Uno (Vallenato)

Television

Colombia has many national and regional television channels. The National Television Commission oversees television programming. Radio and Television of Colombia (Radio y Televisión de Colombia—RTVC), Colombia’s principal television and radio operator, oversees three national television stations (two commercial and one educational). Television stations include:

*Caracol TV. General programming. Founded in 1956 by Fernando Londoño Henao, Cayetano Betancourt, Carlos Sanz de Santamaría and Pedro Navas as a production company. It's a national network since 1998.
*RCN TV. General programming. Founded in 1967 as a production company. It's a national network since 1998.
*Señal Colombia. Cultural and educative broadcasting. Founded in 1970.
*Canal Uno, state-owned national television network, whose programming is provided by private companies.

Regional stations include:
*Citytv. Regional channel to Bogotá
*Teleantioquia. Regional channel based in Medellín and covers the Antioquia Department
*Telepacífico. Regional channel based in Cali. Covers the Pacific region
*Telecafé. Regional channel based in Manizales, coverage in the Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis
*Telecaribe: Regional channel based in Barranquilla, covers the Caribbean Region of Colombia.
*Televisión Regional del Oriente: Regional channel based in Bucaramanga, covers Santander Department and Norte de Santander.

Internet

With the relatively low use of internet in Colombia (12 percent in 2008), there are no newssites, outside the websites of the established media.

Media ownership

Media ownership remains concentrated in the hands of wealthy families, large national conglomerates, or groups associated with one or the other of the two dominant political parties. The first foreign media owner in the country is the Spanish media conglomerate Prisa, which acquired majority ownership of the country’s largest radio network. There are public television and radio networks and two news agencies (Ciep–El País and Colprensa). [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Colombia.pdf Colombia country profile] . Library of Congress Federal Research Division (February 2007). "This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain."]

Freedom of the press

The law provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally has respected these rights in practice. Although security forces generally have not subjected journalists to harassment, intimidation, or violence, there have been exceptions, as well as reports of threats and violence against journalists by corrupt officials. Colombian journalists practice self-censorship to avoid reprisals by corrupt officials, criminals, and members of illegal armed groups. In the fifth annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index published in October 2006, Colombia ranked 131 of a total of 168 countries, a decline from its 2005 ranking of 128. More than 80 journalists have been murdered in the past decade for doing their jobs. Major international wire services, newspapers, and television networks have a presence in the country and generally operate free of government interference.

ee also

* Communications in Colombia

References

External links

*es icon [http://www.mincomunicaciones.gov.co/ Colombian Ministry of Communications]
*http://www.mediosmedios.com.ar/A.%20Colombia.htm