The 5th legislature of the Congress of the Union has concluded, with nothing memorable to highlight, only the memories of offensive debates, unconstitutional reforms and the display of the polarization that exists in the country (the good and the bad). But, in those last days of the session, it is customary in legislative praxis to pass “fast balls” (afores) or leave initiatives planted as a kind of inheritance for those who come.
And that is what Morena seeks to do by promoting a reform to the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law to allow public media to market, which is constitutionally prohibited.
Note that even the Public Broadcasting System of the Mexican State (SPREM), which is the model that was constitutionally designed as a paradigm of a public medium, was constitutionally instituted on a non-profit basis, so it is incomprehensible that a secondary reform seeks to modify fundamental political decisions. embodied in the Constitution.
In this sense, it is well known that there are constitutional provisions that expressly prohibit public media from having for-profit purposes, such as the sale of commercial advertising, therefore, the reform proposals that seek to repeal the law, the principles, become unconstitutional. statements.
During the 4T regime we have seen that the SPREM budget has increased considerably, and not only the budgetary growth but the allocation of new stations to said organization, since 2021 it has grown almost 5 times in budgetary resources, in addition to increasing its infrastructure. 33 to 57 stations.
On the other hand, according to the Constitution, public media must be institutional and not government spokespersons or government propaganda media. How can we explain that recurring programming is openly propagandist, broadcasting “the morning” instead of a plural newscast? when, even the “morning” has been sanctioned in electoral matters, or that the public resources of the SPREM are used to disseminate – at the time – biographies and profiles of the candidates for Morena’s presidential candidacy.
Regardless of the accusations of notorious and evident unconstitutionality, if public media are allowed to market advertising, there is a risk that advertisers, particularly large companies, will be extorted or pressured by the government to purchase advertising, with no effect whatsoever. not only for advertisers, but also for commercial licensees and for audiences.
At this point it is an insult to the intelligence of Congress to leave a “bone of legal reform” planted, which reminds us three decades ago, when a “fortune teller” woman led the justice authorities to unearth a “bone” of a legislator disappeared, resulting in a farce, just like this initiative.