Argentina: TV channel taken off the air in Mendoza at rival’s request

The Argentinian federal judge Olga Arrabal ordered closure of public rebroadcasting station in Mendoza Province at request of Vila-Manzano Group, a monopolistic media conglomerate.

The judge ordered the cessation of broadcasts by the local relay transmitter of Canal 7 television station in Mendoza's capital. The inhabitants of this city and Maipú, Luján de Cuyo, Lavalle, San Martín, Palmira, Junín, Santa Rosa, La Paz and Rivadavia Departments lost access to the public television.

The country's Media Secretary, Public Broadcasting System and Channel 7 will appeal the resolution of the Second Federal Court of Mendoza.

"We are going to do everything necessary to defend the right to the information", said Rosario Lufrano, the executive director of Canal 7. In addition, she added that they would go to Mendoza all the times that be necessary, since they had done it with San Rafael, to achieve that all the citizens have free and free access to the unique national channel that has Argentina.

In 2007, Channel 7 had installed new relay in the cities of Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Neuquén, Santa Rosa, Comodoro Rivadavia, San Rafael and Mendoza. Nevertheless, in San Rafael and Mendoza they had problems, due to the judicial presentations made by Vila-Manzano Group's companies.

A Commission of Neighbors called for a day of mobilization for the next January 30 in the downtown of Mendoza, to repudiate the measure adopted by the judge.