Amendment to the Communication Law proposes 20% of national music

Ecuadornews:

Currently the legislation establishes that 50% of the musical content of the stations must be of national production. Now the reduction to 10% and 20% of that strip is considered.

There is a long way to go in the Assembly on the improvement of the Organic Law of Communication (LOC).

The first step, the report approved for the first debate, already establishes changes, for example, in national production. There already collapses the figure of the 1×1, which was much publicized by the previous Government, but that did not bring benefits for the national production.

Article 103 of the LOC establishes that radios are obliged to broadcast in equal quantity the music of foreign and national artists (of national production). However, that did not allow the development of this industry, rather -according to the artists- provoked friction with the national media.

The singer Juan Fernando Velasco, president of the Society of Authors and Composers (Sayce), in his appearance in the Commission, affirmed that he agrees to reform said article of the LOC, since there were no benefits. According to him, the idea of reforms is for “artists, authors and media to win”.

Therefore, in the first approved report, the complete reform of article 103 is proposed. If the proposal remains, the maximum 10 to 20% of the musical contents broadcast on the radio stations will have to be produced in the national territory.  

For Luis Enríquez, leader of the Society of Authors and Independent Composers of Ecuador, This measure only benefits the members of Sayce and the group of “poperos” of the country. He does not agree with reducing that number, but said that “50% or 1×1 can work, as long as there is musical pluralism.” And that is achieved with technical and audience studies. For example, he proposed that the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) establish the number of people who listen to the different musical genres. “With that base,” Enríquez clarified, “it would improve production.”

He regretted that currently there is no plurality in the equitable distribution of frequencies, neither of genres nor artists in national radios. However, the reforms to the LOC do contemplate a new distribution -considered as equitable by the legislative table- of the radio concessions. “It is not possible,” he said, “for two or three people to concentrate a myriad of radios.

They only prioritize a group of national artists, and where are the independents?, which do have an audience, if not, go to a concert and see how many people are there”.

Quality in national production

The legislators of that Commission can still improve the law. They are open to continue receiving contributions to promote national production. They assured that the 1×1 did not give returns in the five years of applicatin of the law.

However, they did not provide figures that justify that. Assemblyman César Carrión acknowledged that the reforms benefit everyone. He stressed when media owners complained because that provision caused “the flight” of the audience.

“The 1×1 did not have any technical support.” For its part, Jeannine Cruz, also a member of the Commission, said that obliging consumption did not guarantee or guarantee local production. “It was not for small producers to receive more space.”

Finally, Marcela Holguín, vice president of the Collective Rights Commission, understands the position of the media, however, does not agree with eliminating the 1×1.  

Frequencies

Expectation for distribution

The project of reforms of the LOC contemplates that the telecommunication authority will carry out the direct concession of frequencies for the public media and for the representatives of peoples and nationalities. 2 articles are included in the reforms of the LOC for national production. Yes there will be contest the frequencies for private and community media will enter the competition “public and transparent”. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/politica/3/reforma-loc-musica-nacional-asamblea