Author: Chris
AMARC Europe fully supports CUAC FM in their conflict with the regulatory authority and calls for all parties to support human and free media rights.
CALL FOR ACTION: PLEASE SIGN THE MANIFEST HERE!
BRIEFING
With this declaration we aim to defend the exercise of the freedom of speech through any means, specially the community media.
Community radios are non-profit, plural and independent spaces for free communication that serve their community while fulfilling a social purpose. They are democratizing spaces that encourage the social cohesion and the media literacy among the citizenship. Community media are a legal right for citizens that is expressly recognized by law (General Audiovisual Communication Act 7/2010) but not by the government.
Cuac FM has been waiting 21 years for a broadcasting license to be granted. After 7 years the government keeps refusing to regulate the existing community communication services. On the contrary, public administration has initiated a sanction proceeding, threatening the radio station with a fine of up to 200.000€. Cuac FM has had to stop broadcasting via the 103.4 FM dial, and tomorrow the same could happen to any of the more than 300 free radio stations nationwide.
In this declaration we CLAIM our right to freedom of speech and communication, and we DEMAND:
(1) that the sanctioning files currently opened against Cuac FM and other free and community media of the country are closed immediately
(2) The grant of a temporary authorisation so that Cuac FM can keep providing a Community Broadcasting service, as set out in the 7/2010 Act.
(3) The drafting of a Communication Act where third sector entities are granted an equal treatment and part of the radio broadcasting space is reserved for community media, Which also guarantees the sustainability of these media as proof of plurality of information, of the right of the citizenship to access the media, cultural diversity and media democratization.