Free Subscription! 
iTunes 
Our podcast will keep you up to date...
Chavez Eyes Handing Radio Stations to Socialists
I think this story complements some of the points Gard has made regarding government control of the radio spectrum here in the US.
Chavez eyes handing radio stations to socialists
The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez said Tuesday that hundreds of radio stations his government plans to seize for allegedly operating illegally could be turned over to Venezuelans who share his socialist vision.
"We are going to retake control of the radio waves," Chavez told a crowd of supporters.
Chavez said his government isn't planning to take control of radio frequencies "to give them to the bourgeoisie" - a term he frequently uses to refer to his political adversaries. "A popular radio in the hands of the people must be created," he said.
The leftist leader has endorsed a move to revoke the licenses of 240 radio stations - about 40 percent of the country's stations - after officials said they didn't update their registrations with the telecommunications commission. Tensions between Chavez and Venezuela's privately owned media are on the rise.
Officials have launched investigations that could lead to the closure of Globovision, an opposition-aligned television station that is the last over-the-air TV broadcaster strongly critical of Chavez's policies. The government has also endorsed plans for a proposed law that would punish as-yet-unspecified "media crimes."
The Paris-based media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders warned Venezuela's government Tuesday against making any moves that would stifle dissent.
"Regulations and laws changed or reinterpreted by a government to impose what it sees as the only possible media truth are just the instruments of an ideological crusade that is already well under way," the group said in a statement. "We urge the government to shelve steps contrary to fundamental constitutional principles and inter-American jurisprudence on freedom of expression."
__________________
- Stephen M. Smith
Twitter and Facebook may be next.
With the manner in which Americans accept the US government "owning" the airwaves", this has happened to varying degrees here, hasn't it. :-) And then, as you say, we can expect more!
Exactly. I just finished a book, The Return of the Idiot, that gives an overview of Latin America's lurch toward socialism. It was an interesting read not only to get an idea of the current political landscape in Mexico, Central and South America, but also because it provides a cautionary tale for the US.
Venezuela: 'Freedom of expression must be limited'
The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's top prosecutor insisted Thursday that freedom of expression in Venezuela "must be limited," and proposed legislation that would slap additional restrictions on the country's news media. The new law would punish the owners of radio stations, television channels and newspapers that have attempted to "cause panic" and "disturb social peace," Attorney General Luisa Ortega said. It also would punish those media owners who "manipulate the news with the purpose of transmitting a false perception of the facts."
"Freedom of expression must be limited," Ortega said.
Ortega urged lawmakers to consider her suggestions as they move forward with a proposed law that would punish as-yet-undefined "media crimes." The National Assembly, which is controlled by allies of President Hugo Chavez, is expected to approve the bill in coming months.
Chavez's administration is slowly tightening its grip over the news media, raising concerns among watchdog and human rights groups, which accuse the government of trying to stifle dissent. Venezuela's telecommunications commission notified 50 radio stations earlier this week that their broadcast licenses could be revoked because they failed to update their registrations. Commission chief Diosdado Cabello said a final determination on the licenses will be made following investigations. He said authorities might also seize broadcasting equipment. Nearly 200 other broadcasters that did not meet a June deadline to register also will be investigated, but have not yet been formally notified, Cabello said.
Chavez denies that he intends to silence critics, saying that his government fully respects freedom of expression.