AMARC Europe strongly protest against the closure of the community television La Tele

AMARC Europe – World Association of Community RadioBroadcasters expresses serious concerns and strongly protest against the closure of the community television La Tele in Barcelona.

“LaTele” spent many years fighting legal and economic adversity it faced since its constitution. When the project began in 2003, the Social Communication Assembly worked to achieve a legal framework for community media broadcastingand access to the airwaves. Although the collective  was acknowledged by a legal recognition under the category of ‘non-profit media’, mentioned in the Catalan and Spanish law, the TV never obtained a frequency.  The TV has the right tobroadcast but not a frequency duly allocated.

 Last 14th June 2013 the transmitter of the community TVstation was closed down following a decision of the General Director of Media of the Generalitat de Catalunya. To proceed to the seal off, on Friday at 1.30 PM, an endowment of the Catalan police accompanied by a telecommunications inspector and a technician came by force to the area where the computers are located. About thirty minutes before the company in charge of the transmitter received a call which reported the impending seal off.  The sealing order addressed to the company recalls the Law 7/2010, of 31 March of General Audiovisual Communication by which can be ordered “the cessation of emissions and the provisional seal of equipment and facilities used for illegal emissions imputed in accordance with the Article 60.1″

AMARC Europe –  European branch of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters strongly  protest against the closure of LaTele and call the Spanish and Catalan Media authorities to respect European Resolutions and Council of Europe Declarations in respect of pluralism and access to airwaves.

AMARC Europe asks for a serious commitment to fulfil European and International standards about community media access to airwaves for its continuing delivery of social and economic benefit.