Chairman :

- Alain d’Iribarne, administrator of the Fondation MSH, CNRS, France

Speakers :

- César Bolano, UFS, Brazil
« Political economy of digital journalism»

- Ilya Kiriya, University Lomonossov Moscow, Russia
« The structuring of the CMI and communication systems in the former Soviet Union»
>>> Download the communication (French)

- Guillermo Mastrini, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
«Concentration of property in the “info-communication” sector in Latin America: trend analysis in the globalisation era»
>>> Download the communication

- Tristan Mattelart, University Paris 2, France
« The CMI and theories of the internationalisation of communication»

«Political economy of digital journalism»

César Bolano
UFS, Brazil

Waiting for abstract

«The structuring of the CMI and communication systems in the former Soviet Union »

Ilya Kiriya
University Lomonossov Moscou, Russia

«Concentration of property in the “info-communication” sector in Latin America: trend analysis in the globalisation era »

Guillermo Mastrini
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

On a yearly basis, the average citizen in Latin America doesn’t get to buy a whole book, goes to the cinema less than once, buys less than half a CD in the legal market and only buys 10 newspapers. Only 10% of the population has access to the Internet. The exception to is that the average Latin American citizen has daily access to radio and TV. The low levels of access are complemented by a sector structure which is highly concentrated, where the first four companies in each market, on average, dominate more than 60% of revenues and audience. This is aggravated considerably if one takes into account that in most countries various economic groups control the most important companies of each market and generate a concentration pattern of conglomerates.

These conclusions come out as the first results of a comparative research of property concentration in 6 different markets of information and communication in 12 Latin American countries.

During the first stage which took place between 2002-2004, the information was assembled with facts from 2000 in the above mentioned countries on media structure, concentration levels and the presence of the most important media companies. During that initial stage it was proved that the “info-communication” sector had a high concentration of property ownership in the continent. In terms of the diversity of the media it was proved that the countries with the highest numbers of inhabitants allowed for a greater diversity, although this was partially counterbalanced by the simultaneous presence of the biggest media conglomerates at the regional level.

During 2006 we have assembled the facts which correspond to 2004. The work shows for the first time the prevailing tendencies of property concentration in the region. Additionally the work presents the legal devices of each country, followed by an analysis on why these have not been able to stop the concentration process.

«The CMI and theories of the internationalisation of communication »

Tristan Mattelart
University Paris 2, Institut français de presse, France

Waiting for abstract