Most Venezuelans oppose TV station closure, says poll
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| Published on Friday, April 27, 2007 |
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By Brian Ellsworth
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters): Almost 70 percent of Venezuelans oppose the imminent closure of an opposition television station but worry more over the loss of risque soap operas than free speech, a pollster said on Thursday.
Leftist President Hugo Chavez has vowed not to renew the concession of the openly anti-government RCTV when it expires on May 27, sparking heavy criticism that the socialist leader's self-styled revolution is curbing media freedoms.
The opposition accuses Chavez of muzzling dissent as he rules by decree and forges a single ruling party, but supporters say he is the OPEC nation's first leader to use burgeoning oil wealth to tackle rampant poverty.
A survey conducted this month by pollster Datanalisis found just over 69 percent of respondents in 2,000 households said they opposed the closure, with only 16 percent in favor and around 14 percent declining to respond.
Datanalisis Director Luis Vicente Leon said Venezuelans largely reject the shut-down out of love for RCTV's signature comedy sketch shows such as "Radio Rochela," with 81 percent saying RCTV had a positive impact.
"The rejection of the closure of RCTV has nothing to do with the violation of freedom of expression," Leon told reporters.
Many of those polled complained the measure would reduce the variety of programming, Leon said. The survey had a 2.2 percentage point margin of error.
RCTV openly supported a bungled coup against Chavez in 2002 and is still harshly critical of the president in its news broadcasts and opinion shows.
Information Minister Willian Lara dismissed the survey as a ruse by RCTV's owners, and said viewer choice of programming and freedom of expression will not be affected by the station's closure.
"Surveys like this will be a dime a dozen (and as frequent) as Marcel Granier's checkbook will allow," said Lara, referring to the head of RCTV's parent company.
SOAPS IN THE SLUMS
Datanalisis is unlikely to publish the entire survey, which was conducted for a group of businesses that are subscribers to its routine economic and public opinion polls.
Leon, who is frequently critical of the government, told reporters Chavez's approval rating was 64.7 percent as measured by a separate poll in March, essentially unchanged from his resounding re-election win in December.
The nation's poor majority strongly backs Chavez's social development crusade but still enjoys RCTV's racy evening soap operas and farcical comedies that occasionally parody Chavez and often driven by gags involving buxom women.
RCTV's soap operas include "You're in the Hot Sauce" about a woman who adopts her party animal sister's illegitimate child, only to find herself trapped in a love triangle with two brothers -- one of whom might be her niece's father.
Chavez has slammed RCTV's programming as "pornography" and has promised to use the frequency for a government-backed community channel.
"I do not support them closing that station," said William Fernandez, 39, a security guard from a Caracas shantytown where steep hills make for patchy TV reception. "I watch my soap opera every night."
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