International Communication

Media Systems in South America

South America

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela

• Fourth in area and fifth in population• Majority of South Americans speak

portuguese.

Brazil

• Official Country Name: Federative Republic of Brazil

• Capital City: Brasilia• President: Dilma Rouseff

• Brazil has a democratic republic with a presidential system. The president is the head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a 4 year term with the possibility for a reelection in the next term.

• The core culture of Brazil is derived from Portuguese culture, because of its strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire.

• The constitution guarantees a free press

Media

• Television sets were the most widespread media content devices in Brazil in 2014 and were found in 98.3 percent of households.

• Digital television covers 46.8 percent of the population

• Sports is the major program in television.• There are 672 newspapers in Brazil.• The internet is the preferred platform for news

and entertainment among Brazilian youth.

• Facebook has become an expressive online platform for organizing public gatherings.

• Twitter is used by campaigners in a strategy called mass twittering.

• Twitter campaign “Fora Sarney” or Out with Sarney

Major Media Players

• Four major media players - Organizacoes Globo, owned by the Marinho family; Sistema Brasileiro de Televisao (SBT) of Silvio Santos; Bishop Edir Macedo owns Record and Rede Bandeirantes is owned by the Saad family.

• Globo is the largest media conglomerate of South America, controlling 340 media outlets. This conglomerate is the owner of Rede Globo, which is the second largest commercial television network in the world.

Public Service Media

• The government’s TV Brasil and eight regional radio stations, managed by the Brazilian Communications Company (Empresa Brasileira Comunicaqao, EBC).

• The EBC maintains a web platform for its outlets, through which it streams live content to the public. and the government of Sao Paulo.

Argentina

• Capital City and Largest City: Buenos Aires• President: Cristina Fernandez Kirchner• Tourism: Best destination in South America• Argentina is a representative democracy and

the Federal constitutional republic. • Argentina is a middle emerging economy and

is currently one of the world's top developing nations.

Media

• The main platform used by Argentineans for news, information and entertainment is television.

• Almost all channels has minimum of two daily newscasts.

• Cable TV penetration is very high.• About 50 percent of the total number of

households is now connected to the internet.

• Around 180 newspapers are published in Argentina.• High radio consumption.• Grupo Clarin is the major media player. Telefonica

and Grupo Vila manazona are the other major media players,

• The public media system comprises the media owned and operated by the state - Canal 7 television, Radio Nacional, and Radiodifusion Argentina al Exterior (RAE).

• Digital activism in Argentina is primarily based on social media - Facebook, YouTube, Taringa and Twitter.

• The national news agency, Telam, was established in 1945.

• A large portion of its contents is available online at www.telam.com.ar.

• Media freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. However, US based freedom house of Argentina says that the poor relationship between the government and the media is an obstacle to journalism.

Colombia

• Capital and Largest City: Bogota • President: Juan Manuel Santos

• The government of Colombia has a presidential representative democratic republic as established in the Constitution of 1991.

• Colombia is considered one among the world's 17 mega diverse countries and the most biodiverse per square kilometer.

Media

• One of the most difficult region for journalist.• There are two newspapers with nationwide

circulations and one or two regional or local newspapers per region, three national public TV channels, eight regional public television channels and two national private TV channels.It also has two main radio networks.

• The two private channels - RCN and Caracol are dominant.

• High pay TV penetration in last five years.• Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a new service

that is fast gaining in Colombia. • Radio is the second mass media in terms of

consumption.• Since 2005, the main change in media

consumption has been the increase in internet usage by 34 percentage points, from 14.9 percent in 2005 to 48.9 percent of the population in 2013.

• The most visited Colombian website is eltiempo.com which belongs to the largest newspaper in the country.

• Al Dia Barranquilla, El Espacio,El Colombiano and El Espectadorare other major newspapers in Colombia.

• TVyNovelas are the most widely read magazine in the country.

• Colombia’s public service media are state supported TV channels and radio stations that are regulated by the National Agency of Television (Agencia Nacional de Television, ANTV).

• . The public media sector comprises eight regional television channels, three national television channels, one international television channel, two national radio stations and over 150 public interest stations.

• The three national channels which have national coverage are Senal Colombia, Canal1and Senal Institucional.

• International public channel, Region Colombia Institucional (RCI).

• Social networks have become very popular in Colombia.

• Telmex is the major media player in this country.

Peru

• Capital City and Largest City: Lima• President: Ollanta Humala• Peru is a Presidential representative

democratic republic with a multi party system.• Peru is a developing nation with a poverty

level around 25.8 percent.

Media

• The constitution guarantees freedom for media. • Television is the most popular.• Cable TV penetration from 2010 ownwards.• Telefonica is the major media player.• Press has very small reach.• Radio is also popular.• As of 2014, the five most visited web pages were

Google, the social network Facebook, Google Peru, YouTube, and Windows Live.

• In Peru, there is no clear public service model for the mass media.

• TV Peru is the public TV network - Second most popular channel.

Chile

• Capital City And Largest City: Santiago• President: Michelle Bachelet• Chile has the highest degree of economic

freedom in South America (ranking 7th worldwide), owing to the independent and effective Judicial system and prudent public finance management. In 2006, Chile became the country with the highest GDP per capita in Latin America.

Media

• Chile continued to provide a relatively open environment for press freedom and reporting on most issues.

• TV is the main media platform followed by radio.• Chileans consider television and radio as the most

credible, independent and influential media. • FTA broadcasts are the main news and entertainment

providers for most of the population. • Chile is second to Argentina in its penetration rates for

pay-TV in South America.

• Four newspapers with national reach – La tercera, La Cuarta, El Mercurio and Las Ultima Noticias.

• The three top websites are YouTube, Facebook, and MSN.

• State operation of media has historically only been associated with television and newspaper, namely by the public broadcaster TVN and the daily La Nacion, respectively.

• The public broadcaster is distributed through pay-TV systems only and has very low ratings.

• The Center for Journalistic Investigation and Information (Centrode Investigacion e Informacion Periodistica, CIPER).

• In November 2010, CIPER-Chile published a book, El periodismo que remece a Chile (Journalism that shakes Chile) containing 12 major investigations carried out by the Centre over the past three years.

Uruguay

• Capital City and Largest City: Montevideo• President: Tabare Vazquez

• Uruguay is a representative democratic republic with a presidential system.

• It is considered as a high income nation (top group) by the United Nations and the only one in South America.

Media

• Freedom of speech and media are guaranteed by the Uruguayan constitution.

• Television is the principal medium for entertainment and news for consumers.

• Teledoce, TV Ciudad and Monte Carlo TV are the major channels in Uruguay.

• Pay TV penetration is very high.• Internet reach – more than 75% of the

population.

• 38% of total population read newspapers atleast once in a week.

• El Pais, El Observador and La Republica are the major newspapers.

• the Official Service of Television, Radio, Broadcast and Entertainment (Servicio Oficial de Difusion, Radiotelevision Espectaculos, SODRE) – State owned organisation.

• Task of SODRE is to produce and broadcast cultural and news programs.

• City TV and Canal 5 are the state owned channels.

• Three media conglomerates: Channel 10 (Fontaina - De Feo Group), Channel 4 (Romay Salvo / Romay Eccher Group), and Channel 12 (Cardoso- Pombo Scheck Group).

Conclusion

• Media in South America have traditionally been consolidated into the hands of a few wealthy families and large media conglomerates such as Globo in Brazil, Clarin in Argentina, El Comercio in Peru etc.

• Television is the main source of news and entertainment across the continent.

• Internet connectivity is growing steadily across the region, and also the use of Smartphone’s, and mobile internet connectivity. Newspaper and Radio is losing its credibility and significance in this continent.

• Web services.• Public service media is not so influential.• New initiatives are taken in Guyana, Bolivia, Uruguay,

Paraguay and Venezuela to strengthen public service media.