Podemos uses last days of Congress to present media policies

With just days to go before a repeat general election is called in Spain for June 26 and Congress dissolved, on Friday anti-austerity party Podemos presented three non-legislative motions.

The motions will not be debated, and Podemos has released few details other than that one of the measures relates to the state-funded EFE news agency. The other two address use of the radio spectrum and the so-called third sector of the media: not-for-profit organizations.

The party briefly outlined its proposals for EFE in February in the wake of the inconclusive December 20 elections, during talks to form a coalition government with the Socialist Party (PSOE). It presented a document entitled Political bases for a stable government with guarantees, calling for measures to end what it called “government control” over the news agency – along the lines of those it wants to establish for state broadcaster RTVE to guarantee “independence, participation and transparency”.

Podemos also wants “transparent” management of the radio spectrum “on a par with European standards”

Podemos also wants “transparent” management of the radio spectrum, “on a par with European standards for the adjudication of concessions based on pluralist criteria.” The party’s electoral program calls for a “balanced division of the radio spectrum as a common good, avoiding media concentration.”

The party also presented an initiative dealing with community media, calling for “compliance with current audiovisual legislation related to the third sector of the communication sector (not-for-profit community media), whose democratizing and galvanizing role should be encouraged and protected, as happens in the rest of Europe, following the recommendations outlined by UNESCO.”

English version by Nick Lyne.