BRCD

Archive for October, 2009

Regulatory authorities as such were created in order to protect rights and freedoms, defend free competition and prevent market monopolies. Today these broadcasting regulatory bodies have assumed the responsibility of preserving free commerce, while favouring political, social, cultural and linguistic pluralism. Their future challenge is to manage and assure cultural diversity, which is a shared human heritage. The principal tool to assure this issue of general interest has been the establishment of criteria for conceding licences.

Under this practice, regulatory authorities have monitored programming by broadcasters so that pluralism in general, including political, social, cultural and linguistic pluralism, is respected. But beyond this, we believe that regulatory authorities have a responsibility to define, in each instance, the specific aspects that are entailed in safeguarding diversity, in its specific social context and in the context of global information society.

We believe, therefore, that it is a priority of the highest order that the various broadcasting regulatory authorities lead this debate. This debate must bring awareness of certain steps and certain mutual and consensual strategies that will guarantee respect for cultural diversity.