ARGENTINA: Employees of Grupo Clarin, Argentina's biggest media conglomerate, fear for jobs ahead of looming disinvestment deadline

Record ID: 447243

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Employees of Grupo Clarin, Argentina's biggest media conglomerate, fear for jobs ahead of looming disinvestment deadline
  • Date: 5th December 2012
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (FILE) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CEREMONY WHERE MARTIN SABBATELLA IS NAMED HEAD OF THE FEDERAL AUDIOVISUAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES AUTHORITY (AFSCA)
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Economy
  • Reuters ID: LVA2PJFX6YRYTAA3TCUWX25H65FE
  • Story Text: Employees of Argentina's biggest media empire, Grupo Clarin, wait anxiously for what has become known as "7D" or December 7, the looming deadline for the conglomerate - among other media groups - to start selling off dozens of its operating licenses.
    The cutoff comes as the result of a 2009 anti-monopoly media reform law that sparked a bitter battle between President Cristina Fernandez's government and the broadcasting group.
    Clarin has challenged the law's most controversial clause, Article 161, on the grounds that it violates the constitution by forcing companies to sell off previously acquired radio, television or cable TV operating licenses.
    The courts have yet to rule on the case, but the government says a Supreme Court decision in May means a temporary court injunction shielding Clarin from complying with the reform law will expire for good this week.
    Claudio Radmanic, a network technician at Clarin-owned Cablevision for the past 21 years, remained optimistic about job security but admitted that fear is in the air.

    "Personally, I am convinced that we are going to continue working. From the company's side, they are going to respect all of the agreements, the working conditions that we have today, so I feel relaxed on the one hand, but on the other hand every day we are bombarded with "they are going to lose their jobs, 7D, 7D, 7D". But bring on 7D - I am going to be working on 8D," said Radmanic.
    Maria Yamila Carbone, a Cablevision customer service agent wasn't sure how to respond to clients' questions about the volatile and highly discussed situation between her company and the state.

    "In reality I think everything can be defined with one word, and that is uncertainty, fear. The situation is very complicated day by day. I'm in a commercial branch where clients ask what is going to happen, but, well, it is really just defined by this: uncertainty," said Carbone.
    Martin Sabbatella, head of Argentina's media watchdog, AFSCA, adamantly denied downsizing rumours and attributed the job cut scare to a fear campaign led by the media group.

    "They put together a communication strategy that said they were going to lose jobs, that jobs were going to be lost, which is not true - it's completely false. The reality is that the comprehensive application of the law has to care for all jobs absolutely, this is, furthermore, of prime concern to the President of the Nation - apply the law without privileges or exceptions for anyone, protecting all the jobs, and you know that this is one of the concerns, and for this reason we have signed an agreement with the Ministry of Labour," said Sabbatella.
    In newsrooms across the country speculation continued to swirl ahead of the deadline and its possible aftermath.

    "What is going to happen if the media changes hands? And if it changes hands and gets into the hands of someone in favour of the government, then what? Are we going to be able to continue saying and maintaining our free journalism position? Well, this is the great unknown," said TN news anchor Mario Massaccesi.
    The overhaul of Argentina's broadcasting regulations, which dated from the last dictatorship, was welcomed by many leftist groups and academics.
    As well as limiting the number of licenses any one company can hold, it allocates airspace for non-government groups such as churches and community associations and seeks to promote Argentine-made films and television series.
    But opponents say the AFSCA has made scant progress on applying less controversial elements, confirming their fears that the shake-up was a thinly veiled attempt to punish Clarin and other powerful opposition voices.
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