12
57.
Communication No. 0424 indicates that RCTV does not have an ‘acquired’ right to the
automatic renewal of the concession of the use and exploitation of the broadcast spectrum because: (1)
the right to automatic renewal of concessions of this type of service is established neither in the
Constitution nor by law; (2) concessions are privileges granted for limited periods of time, pursuant to
Article 113 of the Constitution and Article 73 of the LOTEL; (3) a general legal principle is that privileges
are to be interpreted restrictively; and (4) automatic renewal would put at risk the plurality of use of the
broadcast spectrum and the broadcast spectrum's status as public property of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela.
58.
Communication 0424 cited by the State holds that the broadcast spectrum is public State
property whose use and exploitation require the corresponding concession, and because what is at issue
is the exploitation of natural resources that are the property of the Nation, the State shall grant
concessions for a specific period of time, always ensuring the existence of considerations or counterparts
that are adequate to the public interest. In this sense, it considers that the concept of "automatic renewal
or extension" of a public concession is clearly contrary to the status of the broadcast spectrum as public
property and the time limits that the Constitution establishes for public concessions, and would make
them nugatory.
59.
With regard to the non-renovation of the RCTV concession, Communication 0424 cited
by the State holds that although Article 73 and 210 (4) of the LOTEL establish the possibility of renewing
any concession of the use of the broadcast spectrum, this constitutes an optional authority, not an
obligation for the State. It alleges that the State, as owner of the property, can always reserve the use and
exploitation of it for itself, as it has in this case. It indicates that in compliance with Article 108 of the
Constitution, as part of the definition and implementation of new public policies for the
telecommunications sector put forth in the National Telecommunications Plan, it decided to promote a
new model for managing free-to-air television under the scheme of public service television, in order to
permit the democratization of the use of over-air broadcast media and a plurality of messages and
content. It indicates that this required a frequency that would allow it to have a free-to-air television
network with national scope, like the one that became available upon the expiration of RCTV's
concession.
60.
Communication 0424 indicates that RCTV brought requests for two reports to be
submitted as evidence in its request for renewal. The first was a request to the "Ministry of Infrastructure"
for a certified copy of all free to air television and radio broadcasting titles that have been transformed
under Article 210 of the LOTEL in order to prove that "(…) the Ministry of Infrastructure failed to fulfill the
obligations established in Article 210 of the LOTEL.” This evidentiary measure was ruled inadmissible
because it was attempting to prove a fact that had not been contested. It explains that the fact that
RCTV's concession has not been transformed is a fact that does not require any evidence given that it
has not been contested.
61.
According to Communication 0424 cited by the State, the second evidentiary request
sought for CONATEL to provide a certified copy of all requests for the transformation of free-to-air
television and radio broadcasting titles, and a certified copy of all penalties applied to free-to-air television
and radio stations for violations of LOTEL and the Radio and Television Responsibility Act. It was sought
in order to demonstrate that the refusal to transform RCTV’s titles or to extend or renew its concession
had the status of a penalty or would be the result of the application of the penalty. The State argues that
this argument was not valid given that the case addresses the expiration of the period of validity of the
RCTV concession due to the passage of time.
5.
Pleadings on the rights alleged to have been violated by the State
62.
The State indicates that on April 17, 2007, a group of RCTV executives sought a
constitutional writ of nullification before the Contentious Administrative Court against Resolution No. 002
and Communication No. 0424, together with an injunction. It indicates that the remedy was admitted but
the injunction was not. It indicates that the Court ruled on the alleged violation of the right to freedom of
expression by the State against the executives, employees and journalists of RCTV, finding that, "the