The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, 1900 to today

Incident

Venezuela: the government declines to renew RCTV's broadcast concession

VenezuelaRSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

Venezuela's government let Radio Caracas Television's twenty-year broadcast concession expire rather than renew it, replacing the country's most-watched channel with a new state broadcaster; a regional human rights court later found the decision violated free expression.1234

What happened

Radio Caracas Television's twenty-year broadcast concession was due to expire at midnight on May 27, 2007, and Venezuela's government, led by President Hugo Chavez, chose not to renew it. A new state broadcaster, the Venezuelan Social Television Station, took over RCTV's former frequency. Government officials accused RCTV's employees of having supported the failed 2002 coup against Chavez, and separately accused the channel of violating Venezuelan law and broadcasting indecent content; the administration described the non-renewal as the natural result of the concession's expiration rather than a deliberate act against the channel. In September 2015, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the non-renewal had in fact violated freedom of expression, finding it was "a restriction on the exercise of freedom of expression designed to impede the communication and circulation of ideas and opinions" and that the government's real purpose was to stop RCTV's critical coverage of Chavez's administration. The court said the decision had also harmed the public's right to access RCTV's editorial line.1234

RCTV did not return to open-signal broadcasting; it continued only through cable and international channels.34

What reason was given

Stated justification

The government described the non-renewal as "natural and inexorable," the automatic result of the concession's expiration, while separately accusing RCTV's staff of having backed the 2002 coup.1

What changed for reporting

Venezuela's most-watched television channel went off the open airwaves entirely, replaced by a state broadcaster, ending its national terrestrial reach.1234

Timeline

2007

27 May 2007
Venezuela: the government declines to renew RCTV's broadcast concession

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Hugo ChavezorderedPresident of Venezuela

Outlets and journalists

NameKindRelation
Radio Caracas Television (RCTV)outletaffected

Sources

  1. Regional court orders Venezuela to reinstate RCTV on the airCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2015-09-08, reporting. Source record
  2. CPJ urges Chavez to allow RCTV to stay on the airCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2007-05-24, reporting. Source record
  3. Factbox: Chavez's thorny dealings with Venezuelan mediaReuters, 2007-05-24, reporting. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. The administration characterized the non-renewal as the natural and unavoidable result of the concession's expiration.natural and inexorableCPJ urges Chavez to allow RCTV to stay on the air, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2007-05-24.Claim 514, checked 2026-09-22.
  2. RCTV's broadcast concession was due to expire at 11:59 p.m. on May 27, 2007, and the government chose not to renew it.The broadcast concession expires on May 27, 2007CPJ urges Chavez to allow RCTV to stay on the air, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2007-05-24.Claim 574, checked 2026-09-22.
  3. The regional court found the non-renewal was designed to stop the circulation of RCTV's ideas and opinions.a restriction on the exercise of freedom of expression designed to impede the communication and circulation of ideas and opinionsRegional court orders Venezuela to reinstate RCTV on the air, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2015-09-08.Claim 575, checked 2026-09-22.
  4. The court found the government's real aim was to stop RCTV's coverage critical of the Chavez administration.to silence critics of the governmentRegional court orders Venezuela to reinstate RCTV on the air, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2015-09-08.Claim 576, checked 2026-09-22.