Réquiem por la televisión comunitaria de Colombia: Influencia de la legislación comercial y audiovisual del país en contra de esta televisión de proximidad

Community television is a fundamental media for Colombian democracy; accordingly, it is fundamental that the country’s legislation guarantees its operation and sustainability, and supports the production of educative and cultural contents by diverse communities. This research critically analyzes how commercial and audiovisual legislation has negatively influenced the operation and sustainability of this television of proximity. To achieve this objective, a case study is used in which quantitative and qualitative sources are consulted through a documentary review technique. It is concluded that the decline of community television is a consequence of the coming into force of “Resolution 433 de 2013” from ANTV and the free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States. This, given that community television stations are set to compete under disadvantageous economic conditions against other types of TV, in terms of quantity of associates, compensation fees, programming hours, and the offer of coded channels.