Colombia. In a dialogue with community broadcasters throughout the country, the Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, Karen Abudinen, explained the measures that the National Government has implemented to provide support to these media during the social and economic emergency.
"When the president announced that I would be the next MINISTER OF ICT, I told him that one of my first meetings would be with community stations and here I am, to support them and tell them to count on me," the minister said during an interview Tuesday with the community radio station of Bogotá 'La Norte FM'.
During the space, Abudinen explained that the ministry successfully completed the process of assigning 187 community radio station concessions for 185 municipalities. "But we don't stop there, we're going for more, now the turn is for community broadcasters with an ethnic focus. It is a historical fact! With this we will be able to offer this population access to more information, strengthen their regional identity and use the media as an alternative for social and economic development," said the minister.
In the interview, the minister reiterated her commitment to these media, encouraging them to continue with their important work, especially in times as difficult as those that Colombia and the world are going through.
In this way, he informed that in October of this year the first virtual meeting will be held with which it will seek to provide support and aid for these media. "It is important that we unite towards clear objectives and that the Ministry of ICT can give you all the strengthening that you deserve as broadcasters," said the head of the portfolio, who also announced that it is expected that in 2021 the meeting can be held in person.
The minister also answered questions that different radio stations asked her, mostly, aimed at the financial support that the National Government will provide during the social and economic emergency, through Decree 658.
"The government will give a guarantee of 90% of the loan you make. We will do this through the operators Bancóldex and INNpulsa to help them with their work of continuing to inform," said the minister, adding that small businesses will be able to access credits of up to 25 million pesos.
He also recalled that Decree 658 postpones until 2021 the payment periods for the consideration that must be paid for the use of the radio spectrum by operators of broadcast open television services, community sound broadcasting and public interest, and non-profit community television to the Single Fund for Information and Communications Technologies (FUTIC).
In this way, the ICT minister insisted that her work will focus on supporting community broadcasters, allowing them to alleviate their economic burdens during the state of emergency, social and economic. "I invite community broadcasters to continue building social fabric and assertively informing the community. They have a friendly minister so we can resolve any situation. Let us give it our love and hope," the minister concluded.
The ICT Ministry invites ethnic communities to send their expressions of interest to community broadcasters with a differential ethnic focus through the forms provided in the link: https://cutt.ly/gyxxbtN. It is important that the senders indicate the municipality for which they would provide the service. The maximum term will be until June 15, 2020.
