PROJECT

"Democratic governance and standards for the regulation of the access and use of radio and TV frequencies"

Long-term objective:
To promote the establishment of favorable regulatory environments for a democratic and fair State regulation of the broadcasting sector.

Short-term objective:
1. To identify the obstacles and good practices for a democratic and fair State regulation of radio and TV frequencies.

2. To begin to place regulation of broadcasting concessions in the agenda of freedom of expression organizations, regional communication networks, academic sectors and the Inter American Commission of Human Rights.

3. To produce standards to guide the analysis and adoption of democratic regulatory frameworks (during the second year of the project).

About the research
The issues regarding broadcasting have a scarce bibliography and a limited doctrine development in terms of freedom of expression

While supporting freedom of expression, broadcasting issues enjoy a limited amount of doctrinal literature and a scarce development, while the right to information and its exercise are taken as indicators of the situation of human rights and good governance.

For example, many States do not have a beacon to guide them on the practices, regulations and standards that could be compatible with the American Convention on Human Rights. Hence the importance of solid research achieved through national studies and the development of standards.
The success of this project is related to the positive bias of various regional stakeholders towards the subject, achieved after years of advocacy work and information.

The work in each country addressed the following dimensions for the study:

1. Analysis of national broadcasting regulatory frameworks, in matters relating to the granting of concessions (including requirements, procedures and conditions of use), mechanisms for monitoring and control of the concession, and features and procedures for revocation and renewal of concessions, if any.

2. Analysis of the institutional design established in each country to regulate broadcasting, in its features of integration, objectives, powers, resources as well as with its relations with government, economic groups and civil society.

3. Analysis of both legal frameworks and the policies and administrative practices of law enforcement. The research seeks to emphasize aspects that hitherto not been analyzed, as it intends to finding key practices in legal and regulatory frameworks.

4. Identification of paradigmatic policies or facts that show how this regulation has an impact on democratic governance and freedom of expression.