Argentine government begins process to dismember Clarin media group
Argentina's government Monday began the process of auctioning off media licenses and related assets held by the media conglomerate Grupo Clarin SA. The move, which government officials say should take about 100 business days to complete, comes after a lower court judge ruled Friday that a three-year-old media law requiring Clarin to be dismantled is constitutional.
We notified Clarin that the auction process has begun. The law is constitutional, and it is in full effect, said Martin Sabbatella, who was appointed by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to enforce the law.
Earlier Monday, Clarin appealed the ruling to a federal appeals court. In a statement, Clarin accused the government of violating other court decisions by starting the auction process.
Clarin noted the same federal appeals court recently said the company would have one year to comply with the law even it were found constitutional. Clarin also said that because it appealed the ruling, the decision automatically would be suspended until it has been confirmed or rejected by a higher court.
Marcela Basterra, a constitutional law professor at the University of Buenos Aires, said the government's action Monday was primarily political.
The government is doing this for political reasons because, legally speaking, it has to wait for a decision on this matter from the appeals court before it can act, Mrs. Basterra said. In reality, this case is going to end up in the Supreme Court, and only then will it be resolved.
Mrs. Basterra said the lower court's ruling isn't binding because it has been appealed. She said the Supreme Court eventually will have to decide whether the law is constitutional and how much time Clarin has to comply with it.
The majority of constitutional scholars think the one-year period will come into effect only if the law has been definitively declared constitutional by the Supreme Court, she said.
Mr. Sabbatella disagrees and has said repeatedly that the one-year divestment period has expired already, meaning the government is right to enforce the law immediately.
Monday's developments are the latest in an intense and public battle between Clarin and President Cristina Fernandez, who accuses the company of being a coup-mongering monopoly that tries to topple her government.








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The Argentinian Way: Viveza Criolla: Juan Peron (1967) foreword by Adolf Hitler
poor argentines with these crooks, bastards, and blackmailers as a so called government!!
Dark days ahead Argentina....when in the future you ask yourselves where did it all go wrong, remember this day!
Every despot leader usually has their photos 20 feet tall and slapped on every street corner. Unless she plans to be more subtle and just have her face on the front page of every paper, every day, with a headline of what the brave fearless leader did today.
eg, from the bbc about North Korea and it's hopelessly out of control sattelite.
''The rocket was celebrated extravagantly in North Korea, with a mass rally held in the capital, Pyongyang.
State media credited the country's new leader, Kim Jong-un, with the success, praising his endless loyalty, bravery and wisdom.
Now the Argentine version
The rocket was celebrated extravagantly in Buenos Aires, with a mass rally held.
Other media also credited Argentina's leader, Mad bitch botox, with the success, praising her endless loyalty, bravery and wisdom.
I'd expect La Campora News 24 to get a few of them.
The trouble is , the fact that the RG press reported the sinking of Invincible about 3 (?) times in 1982 didn't really help as the ship didn't actually sink (or was it that we salvaged her three timesextremmely quickly)?
But no doubt it made the Argies feel good, like the fact they were told they were winning the FI war two days before their forces surrendered.
Stand by for more good news from Argentina.
LMFHO.
I might disagree with a lot Argentina presents Like when was the last time?
And what subject was it?
I am not holding my breath for the reply.
Still, the solution isn't silly remarks about hair-styles or constant bashing of their country. Some folks here seem to hare Argentina regardless of what she does. Just have a look at the thread were it says Argentina almost emptied her treasure reserves in order to pay her debts. No finally or well done.
Well written sir,theres a lot to like about Argentina.
by the way has the postion with the Clarin group changed again?further appeal I cant keep up,oh to be lawyer in Argentina!
I think media should be free and diverse, and neither of them fulfill those criterias, but then again, not many medias does.
I agree with you though, being a lawyer in Argentina must be some rollercoster expeeience
The issue here is why she suddenly felt the need to start a witch-hunt over Clarin, not as to whether or not Clarin has/had a monopoly.
silly mullet-strokers are silly.
we don't like monopolies in Argentina
Your dear leader SS HITLER CRISTINA is one big monopolly trying to control everything you stupid son of a rattle snake
I pity the fools.
They deserve TMBOA.
1) The real monopoly among the media groups is the government plus it crony capitalists who have bought up media companies, these make up aproximately 80% of media coverage.
2) The 20% left over is divided among Clarín Group+La Nación+Perfil+other independent media companies.
I repeat what I've said in other threads; if Clarín Group has such incredible power over the hearts and minds of the Argentine voters, how on earth did CFK get such a landslide result in the general elections last year?????????
Mullet-strokers are indeed quite remarkable in their nonsense.
Bribes?
LOLs
Nicely put, and as usual, the usual suspects on here will never answer your observations. They prefer the smoke and mirror approach.
Where is Nostroll by the way? He said he would be on here 24/7. Mind you, as his mind is empty of original thought except the thesaurus he swallowed recently, I don't mind that he is not.
I remember the first acts of the German nazi government were to 'sell' the jewish-owned companies to party members.
but the good thing is CFK is bound to ?&@k it up !!
Hector Timmerman is an american citizen and said to be very close to the american jewry of NYC, and has some influence. Paul Singer, the head of NML capital, is an important and influential member of the NYC jewry.
So what happens at their Channukah parties when Paul Singer is asking Hector why, as an american, he's basically a member of a neo-nazi state.
Or is there something we're all missing here?
That's all I'm suggesting, as nothing else makes any sense.
Dec 20th, 2012 - 01:39 am
Sorry, I've been trying to find the article, but no luck so far!!
It was an op-ed piece in the Río Negro, but I don't remember the date or author.
It is a fairly true estimate of the actual distribution of the media at this time if you add up all the licences held by: The government, C. López, Grupo Uno, Spollski, etc. and then those held by Clarín Group, La Nación, Perfil, etc., it will give you about 80% and 20% respectiviely.
And you are doing exactly what you claim Simon68 is doing: care to validate your 'imaginary' numbers?
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