The Unexpected Sale Of Chile´s Channel 13 TV Station

Ed. Note: The Catholic Church’s decision to sell its iconic Channel 13 TV station to the Luksic group has provoked an outcry – not just from progressive groups concerned about the ever-growing influence of ‘Big Money’ in Chile’s media, but also by conservative groups loathe to recognize the waning influence the Church plays in forming the nation’s identity.

Below is an essay exploring the ramifications of the Channel 13 sale, translated from the El Mostrador news website. It is written by political scientist Santiago Escobar.)

The sale of the Catholic Church´s Channel 13 TV station to the Luksic business group went off like a well executed karate chop: unanticipated, rapid and cleanly executed.

The coldly calculated decision made by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz has reverberated throughout all the political circles in Chile and brings to an end a communications media that has been at the center of the nation’s history and has shaped Chile for 50 years.

The motives for the sale were economic: great indebtedness and an inability to compete in a media market that’s undergoing a complete technological transition. So it was a completely rational decision that greatly alleviates the financial situation faced by the other great pillar of the Catholic Church in Chile – the Catholic University – which itself was at risk because of the TV station’s disastrous economic situation.

More than just having an impact on Chile’s media market (including the likely event of diminishing the value of President Piñera’s Chilevision deal), the sale reverberates politically, symbolically and culturally because the Channel 13 TV station is such an important part of the nation’s identity.

Channel 13 is a national treasure belonging to the Church, which is to say that is one of those very few properties whose destiny has to be managed with great care. This means that the sale of the station presupposes a long and complex authorization or consultation process.

The discussions leading up to the sale of Channel 13 were held in the utmost secrecy and the announcement of the deal was a complete surprise for everyone – including a large part of the TV station’s management. This time there were no rumors or anonymous suggestions suggesting an imminent sale, a modus operandi typically used in Chile.

Perhaps the most important (and unstated) impact from the sale, one that will take on a greater profile in the future, is the implications coming from a media alliance between the Catholic Church and the Luksic Group. Also important, too, is how this will manifest itself in the politics of our country.

Andrónico Luksic, who signed the agreement with the Catholic Church, is an active member in a diverse number international clubs and organizations. Although he is also very eclectic in terms of his social and business dealings, he shouldn’t have any difficulty in meeting the “values profile” that the Catholic Church requires when undertaking a television station venture of this kind.

This oldest brother in the Luksic clan is a member of APEC’s Business Advisory Council, confirmed as such this year by President Piñera. He is also a member of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, a member of the Panama Canal’s advisory board, and a an international counselor to the Council of Americas, to name just a few of his affiliations. He has a history of leading social responsibility business groups and is on the board of the Fundaciones Educacional Oportunidad y Amparo y Justicia, where he is joined by the Vice Canciller of Catholic University and by Santiago Bishop Andrés Arteaga.

He is also dedicated to mountaineering sports and has his normal responsibilities as a businessman leading the Luksic Group.

With this kind of profile it is possible to conclude that the mutual benefits of the deal go far beyond just business matters. The Catholic Church gets some economic tranquility, but loses its direct influence in Chile’s media. It gains a partner who is a familiar figure to the Church and in whom it can confide, and who will also be able to dialogue about how the Church’s values interface with the media and how to adapt Channel 13 to what the market requires.

For his part, Andrónico Luksic gets at least the nominal support of an ally with enormous economic, symbolic and global clout. For any kind of strategy – national or global – he has gained direct access to the halls of power of one of the most important cultural powers in the Western world.

How these things will play out in the nation’s political stage is not easy to foretell. Most obviously because no one really knows what the Luksic group’s strategy is. It is not even clear if the deal is a result of a personal decision taken by Andrónico Luksic, or if it is a decision taken for corporate considerations: strategic and global. Nor do we really know whose ox may be gored by the media deal – unions, conservatives or other forces. …

The change in ownership at Channel 13 will inevitably bring about a radical change in content. There will be programmatic changes because, until now, Channel 13 has had to adhere to the Church´s mission statement and to the Church’s political and social positions. Its future adherence will be to the station’s bottom line: to make those red numbers blue.

Thousands of thesis have been written about the political importance of TV, ever since John Kennedy won the four 1960 presidential debates against Richard Nixon. This reality has never really been fully processed or appreciated here in Chile.

For four different presidential campaigns our citizens have had to support presidential debates that, in fact, gave little or no real freedom to the journalists. And public health campaigns in the media still do not deal with anything relating to sexuality.

The undeniable power of television in our country was seen the night of Chile´s October 5 plebiscite in 1988, when Gen. Fernando Matthei singled out Channel 13 to announce that Pinochet had lost the vote, that the “No” vote had triumphed.

This power is called influence, and will always be fought for and valued. It is one of the fundamental economic and financial components that give value to a communications media. … It is evident that Canal 13 is losing money and influence. Cardenal Errázuriz´s recent karate chop aims to reverse this situation.

SOURCE: EL MOSTRADOR
By Santiago Escobar
Translated by Steve Anderson

Bolivia, Chile Meet To Discuss Child Trafficking Problem

" Today my students I want you to check this piece of news taken from a Chilean newspaper and tell me your personal opinions"


Authorities from Sename, Chile’s national service for minors, met with Bolivia’s equal opportunities vice-minister, Eveling Llanos, in northern Chile last week to discuss the labor abuse of Bolivian children. Several Bolivian police chiefs also attended the meeting, held in Iquique. Many Bolivian children are used in drug trafficking from Bolivia to Chile, or in domestic or agricultural labor in the Tarapacá (I) and Antofagasta (II) regions in northern Chile. According to officials, children are employed for about US$50 to cross the Andean frontier. Bolivia and Chile share about 620 miles of border, meaning that it is relatively easy for couriers to cross over unseen.Sename has reported an increase in the number of such cases. This year, seven children between the age of 13 and 16 were caught transporting drugs into Chile. But according to Gloria Sepúlveda, Sename´s international relations chief, the reported cases are only the “tip of the iceberg” and the number of unidentified crimes is expected to be enormous.Sepúlveda explained that groups of criminals tended to work with obedient, docile children who have no legal documentation and are not included in the Bolivian Civil Registry. “They make sure that the children have no legal status so that they can use them without fear of punishment,” she told local media recently. Many are made to carry out domestic tasks in homes in Antofagasta, Calama, Iquique, Pozo Almonte and Alto Hospicio. Others are given US$10 and sent into the Andes to look after livestock; they are then abandoned and sent food every 15 days. “They are practically slaves; only in very special cases are they discovered,” Sepúlveda said. But in March 2009, policemen found a young Bolivian boy wandering in the Tamarugal Plain, in Tarapacá, with bruises and hypothermia. He was 16 years old, but told authorities that he had arrived in Chile at the age of 13 with other children, who have not yet been found. The child is now under observation in the Ernesto Torres Galdames Regional Hospital in Iquique.Angélica Marín, chief of Sename´s rights protection department, said 113 Bolivian children were under protection in Sename centers in Chile. To take the minors safely back to Bolivia, Sename must coordinate with Bolivian authorities to locate family members. “To solve this problem, it is vital that we increase awareness of the issue in both the Bolivian and Chilean populations, paying special attention to areas in which children are at particular risk to exploitation,” Sonia Lahoz, with the Chile branch of the International Organization for Migration, told The Santiago Times.

Chile’s Elderly Population On The Rise

In 28 out of the 344 municipalities in Chile, more elderly residents (60 and older) live in the area than do children (15 and younger).

In the last census, there were 1,141 centenarians and 38,556 people in their nineties recorded in Chile.

Results from the National Statistics Institute (INE) suggest that in the next decade, the numbers will drastically increase, so that around 44 percent of the municipalities will have an equal number of elderly and children residents, or, even more of the former.

Currently, the municipalities with the highest populations of elderly residents are Río Verde, Putre and San Gregorio. In Santiago, the borough of Providencia is home to the highest number of elderly residents, with 144 for every 100 children. Still, by 2020, it is expected that Ñuñoa will houses the most elderly residents than youngsters, followed by Independencia.

Gustavo Villalón, a demographer from INE, said, “The decline of fertility and mortality has contributed to this figure,” as women now have on average 1.9 children as opposed to the 2.7 average in 1990.

Villalón said this was a natural transition, especially for developing countries. Japan has 227 seniors for every 100 children, while Chile has only 58 seniors for every 100 children. However, this figure has tripled since 1970, when it was 19 to 100.

Unsurprisingly, the life expectancy in Chile is high at 79 years, one of the highest in Latin America.

By 2020, the population older than 60 is expected to increase by 45 percent, to 3.2 million people, about 17 percent of the total population. The population of children is expected to decrease by 2 percent, to 3.8 million.

Gay Marriage Bill To Be Proposed In Chile’s Senate

What do you think my students about the following news?

Gay Marriage Bill To Be Proposed In Chile’s Senate
Written by Laura French
Monday, 02 August 2010 07:05
Senator to put legislation forward Tuesday, two weeks after Argentina legalized gay marriage

Courtesy of MOVILHSocialist Sen. Fulvio Rossi announced Sunday that he will present a law to the Senate on Tuesday to legalize same sex marriage in Chile. The announcement was made at a press conference one day after Santiago Archbishop Francisco Javier Errázuriz publicly called the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex “an outrage,” referring to Argentina`s initiative. Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage two weeks ago on July 15. Argentina also legalized adoption for same sex couples with the same bill (ST, July 15, 2010)."It may be that two people, two men or two women, want to live together and share life, but to call that marriage is an outrage which some countries are allowing. I regret that Argentina has allowed it, ? the Archbishop said while speaking with journalists.Sunday, Rossi asked the Catholic Church to be “more friendly” and said the Archbishop’s statements “cause immense pain to a community of easily 2 million people.” Rossi added that he does consider himself part of the Church, but the words of the Archbishop are words “of intolerance, a lack of love and caring. I am not a member of a Church that wishes to condemn. I am a member of a Church that knows how to take in all Chileans with care.” The Senator said his proposal would modify Article 112 of the Civil Code, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Article 112 also relates childbearing as a purpose of marriage, which will also be under examination, as the proposal includes the rights for same sex couples to adopt.Rossi said he recognized that the initiative could be rejected in Parliament, but added it would be a big step for the country either way, as the proposal and discussion would install the debate not only in society, but also in the political sphere.Carolina Tohá, former minister in the Bachelet Government and future president of the center-left Party For Democratic (PPD), said Rossi’s proposal will have the votes of her party. "We do not think gay people have fewer rights to build stable relationships than heterosexuals. On the contrary, we think they are Chileans are entitled to make their lives and the legislation gives all Chileans the conditions to be able to do so safely," she said.Senate President Jorge Pizarro, a member of the Christian Democratic party, reacted more cautiously. He pointed to the fact that a proposal is already pending regarding civil unions in Chile. “First things first. Here civil unions do not have the protection necessary to protect their rights,” he said.Further, the president of the conservative Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Sen. Juan Antonio Coloma, said legislation of this nature "seems total nonsense… In our view, the basis of society is the family and that depends on the marriage, understood as a man and a woman," he said. The Archbishop also speculated on the possibility of a decline in birth rate if gay marriage was approved. “In our own country, with the small birth rate as it is, if gay marriage was adopted, there would be a population decline, leading to an aging population,” he said.No such decline has been proven or measured within the populations of other countries which allow gay marriage. MOVIHL, Chile’s gay rights organization, described the Archbishop’s comments as “bloody and undemocratic,” as well as homophobic and “improper promotion of what Christianity says.”