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Colombia’s new president, Gustavo Petro, will have a TV show where he will talk about politics with citizens. According to the contract, each episode will last 60 minutes and will cost more than 30 million pesos (more than US$6,000).
“To provide by its own means with full technical and administrative autonomy, production and transmission services of audiovisual content. Likewise, to carry out the institutional dissemination of the pieces and messages of the communication strategies of the Dapre [Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic], in national, regional, local, community and digital media”, states the object of the contract.
According to Colombian media, such as El País, the contract establishes the creation of an informative journalistic program on issues related to the management of the Presidency and the Government in general. The intention is to do so through news, interviews, chronicles and opinion pieces.
“It was also established that the President and the Government’s main news in general will be broadcast every day on the Institutional Channel at 9:00 p.m.”, the media outlet explained.
Gustavo Petro’s Show
Likewise, it was reported that among the agreed broadcasts there is a “variety show”. It will include the most important information on the most relevant decisions made by Petro’s government. It will last half an hour and will be broadcast every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on the Institutional Channel.
“This space must be a news report on trips and/or international affairs of importance to the country and that in some way engage the interests of Colombians in terms of international relations and treaties, trade, politics, economics, culture, among other topics,” the contract explains.
After the media questioned the decision, the Presidency’s Press Advisor, Germán Gómez, assured that it is a common contract.
“The contract signed with RTVC is the normal operating contract of the Press Department. The cameras, the lights, the journalists and the programs. It does not mean that the president is going to have an interview program, but it does authorize that, for example, a space such as the interviews with community broadcasters can be made”, said Gómez in a statement reported by El País.
Williams Perdomo es periodista y escritor, especializado en las fuentes Política y Cultura.