Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has expressed concern over the sidelining of journalist Javier Molina of Ecuadorian TV station Cablenoticias, which has been state-run since July 2008. Molina was the host of the political programme 'Sobremesas de entorno'.
The journalist received three warnings from the new government-appointed management after the station was taken over, ordering him to modify his editorial line. After Molina complained on air about this on November 19, the programme was pulled from the schedule, with the management referring to "simple programming changes".
'Sobremesas de entorno' is the third programme to be cancelled since the state Deposit Guarantee Agency (AGD) seized control of three privately-owned media. On December 1, Cablenoticias cancelled the programme 'Mano a mano', hosted by journalist Francisco Pinoargotti. Another satirical programme 'Buenos muchachos', also hosted by Pinoargotti, disappeared from Gama TV on November 24.
"These acts point to serious confusion between 'state-run media' and 'state media'," RSF said. "Being owned by the government should not deprive a television or radio station of its capacity for editorial pluralism and its ability to participate in the free circulation of ideas and opinions."
