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Mexico Closer To Banning Paid Political Ads

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The Associated Press

Published: September 14, 2007

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's Senate has approved broad electoral reform that would ban political parties from paying for television and radio ads and open the way for independent candidates to run for public office.

Under the measure passed Wednesday night, television and radio stations would be required to broadcast political ads for up to 48 minutes a day without financial compensation.

The legislation passed 111-11 despite a concerted effort by media companies to block it, but it still must be approved by the lower house of Congress, at least 16 state legislatures and President Felipe Calderon.

TV Azteca, Mexico's second-largest television network, complained that the bill would effectively confiscate a key source of network advertising.

'The measure is ... extremely unfair,' said Luis NiIno de Rivera, a spokesman for TV Azteca.

Hours before the Senate vote, a group representing the broadcast industry tried to push for a referendum enabling the public to weigh in on the bill.

The legislation would give the Federal Electoral Institute the power to regulate and assign political ads to 'official time slots.'

In the 2006 election, 56 percent of political campaign spending went to television and radio ads, primarily to TV Azteca and industry leader Televisa.

The public spending has a significant impact on corporate balance sheets. Televisa's second-quarter 2007 sales in its mainline television broadcasting dipped 15.5 percent compared with the same period last year when the presidential election campaign and soccer's World Cup boosted advertising income.

Media companies argued that the changes imperil their freedom of speech by forcing them to broadcast specific ads.

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