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R 312137Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9909
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RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 001716 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/MEX, WHA/EPSC, EB/CIP 
STATE PASS USAID FOR LAC:MARK CARRATO 
TREASURY FOR IA MEXICO DESK: JASPER HOEK 
COMMERCE FOR ITA/MAC/NAFTA: ANDREW RUDMAN, NTIA 
FCC FOR EMILY TALAGA 
STATE PASS USTR FOR JONATHAN MELLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ECPS EINV PGOV MX
SUBJECT: SENATE PASSES CONTROVERSIAL BROADCASTING AND TELECOM 
 
REFORMS 
 
Ref: MEXICO 01080 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) On March 30, with 81 votes in favor, 40 against, and 4 
abstentions, the Mexican Senate approved controversial reforms 
to Broadcasting and Telecommunications Laws. Previously, on 
December 1, 2005, the Chamber of Deputies had unanimously 
passed the bill.  It has now been sent to President Fox who is 
expected to approve it in no more than ten days.  The bill will 
eliminate the Communications and Transportation Minister's 
current discretionary power to grant or revoke concessions by 
introducing a transparent bidding process.  Opponents of the 
bill allege that it encourages media concentration by the two 
broadcasting giants, Televisa and TV Azteca.  While supporters 
of the law say it promotes technological convergence and 
represents a significant advance from the original circa-1960 
broadcasting law, they also acknowledge it still has some gaps 
that should be improved in the future.  End Summary. 
 
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THE "TELEVISA LAW" 
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¶2. (SBU) Opponents, including legislators from the Party of the 
Democratic Revolution (PRD) and some Institutional 
Revolutionary Party (PRI) and National Action Party (PAN) 
Senators, have accused the PRI and PAN of having sold their 
votes in favor of what has been called "the Televisa bill" in 
exchange for Televisa's support for their presidential 
candidates' campaigns in the media.  Allegedly, broadcasting 
giant (and near monopoly) Televisa drafted the controversial 
bill to protect itself from future arbitrary decisions made by 
the incoming president, tacitly referring to current poll- 
leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). 
 
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COFETEL'S AUTONOMY 
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¶3. (SBU) Critics say the bill fails to provide true autonomy to 
Mexico's telecommunications regulator, COFETEL.  For opponents, 
the new selection process for commissioners was tailored to 
favor the existing dominant players by failing to restrict any 
person with close ties to any telecom or broadcasting company 
from becoming a COFETEL commissioner.  Thus, it will not be 
surprising to see executives from Televisa, Telmex, and TV 
Azteca as incoming commissioners. According to the reforms, the 
President has 30 days after the law is published - and before 
the July presidential elections - to designate the five 
commissioners.  None of the current commissioners will be 
allowed to remain. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The bill theoretically encourages a long-term vision 
and continuity by selecting commissionaires for an 8-year 
tenure, which can be renewed for a second term.  With the 
amendments, COFETEL will regulate and administer the radio 
electric spectrum and promote the efficient use of it. However, 
no significant changes were made to provide more autonomy to 
COFETEL as its decisions and opinions will still be subject to 
review by the Ministry of Communications and Transportation 
(SCT).  Although concessions will be granted through public 
tenders, the final decision will still be made by SCT and not 
COFETEL. 
 
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CONCESSIONS AND LICENSES 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) One of the most significant changes in the bill is 
that concessions will be granted through a bidding process. 
Supporters of the bill say the new law will foment competition 
by making more spectrum available and by ending the practice of 
the government handing out concessions by decree.  Televisa and 
TV Azteca could also participate in those tenders.  Critics of 
the bill say that it will not encourage competition as 
legislators failed to oblige bidders to obtain a favorable 
opinion from Mexico's anti-trust authority, the Federal 
Competition Commission, before submitting their bids in order 
 
MEXICO 00001716  002 OF 002 
 
 
to prevent media concentration.  Given this, and the 
prohibition on foreign investment, dominant companies will have 
a distinct advantage in winning tenders. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Another concern is that, under the new law, the two 
big broadcasters would receive free digital spectrum to cover 
their existing analog frequencies, while potential newcomers to 
the market would have to pay for additional spectrum that is 
put out for bidding.  After the digitalization process, 
broadcasting companies will easily keep the freed spectrum for 
convergence simply by requesting it from SCT and by making a 
payment in exchange.  Since no clear criteria about the payment 
have been defined in the law, critics believe that the State 
wouldn't recover the spectrum nor would receive any payment. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶7. (SBU) Given that Mexico's national elections are fast 
approaching, many observers here believe that legislators 
should have waited until after the elections to pass such a 
controversial reform so that all interested parties' views are 
considered.  Although the law may represent an advance for the 
sector compared to the obsolete law of 1960, some critics 
believe it would have been better to pass a more comprehensive 
reform that would not have so blatantly benefited the handful 
of big broadcasters that already dominate Mexican media. 
However, now that the step towards a new broadcasting and 
telecommunications law has been taken, we hope that 
improvements are passed in the near future that will indeed 
strengthen COFETEL and help the sector become more competitive. 
We will report separately on the views of Embassy contacts in 
government and the telecom industry after President Fox has 
signed the bill. 
GARZA