Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones

The Federal Telecommunications Institute decided to impose fines and declare the forfeiture of assets involved of four radio stations and one television station that operated without permit or concession for the benefit of the nation

• The IFT will maintain the validation and supervision actions in order to guarantee that these services are offered observing the law strictly
• The Plenary received a report wherein the Office of Radio and Television Systems considers which signals broadcasted by Federal Public Institutions are technically available to be broadcasted again by the concessionaires of television service by subscription

Today, during the X Extraordinary Session, the Plenary of the Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT), decided to impose different penalties and declare the assets forfeiture destined to the operation of four radio stations to the benefit of the Nation; these stations broadcasted on the FM band in the States of México and Sonora, as well as on Channel 3 of television in Chihuahua, that had no concession or permit.

As part of the validation actions conducted by the Institute to supervise the proper use of the radio spectrum, this regulating body made visits of preventive seizure to the domiciles where such stations operated so as to prevent them from continue broadcasting. As a result of these proceedings and of the administrative process conducted, the absence of the concession certificates or permits that would prove the legal operation of the stations was evidenced in conclusive manner.

In this manner, the IFT Plenary established, based on Articles 101, subsection XXIII, 103, 104 bis and 106 of the Federal Radio and Television Law, to impose penalties and declare the forfeiture to the benefit of the Nation of the assets destined to operate stations in the following frequencies and locations:

With these actions, the IFT confirms its commitment to continue with the actions of surveillance so broadcasting in Mexico is provided according to the terms set forth in the Law.

Conversely, the Plenary Session received the report whereby the Office of Radio and Television Systems considers that the different signals broadcasted by Federal Public Institutions are technically available to be broadcasted again by the concessionaires of television services by subscription, General Guidelines to broadcast again signals broadcasted in the systems of television services by subscription (must offer and must carry) in terms of Article 12, published in the Federal Official Gazette on February 27th of 2014. The cited signals are:

According to the provisions of Article 12 of the General Guidelines, the IFT will publish in the Federal Official Gazette such list with its technical characteristics, whereby the obligation of the pertinent television concessionaires of television services by subscription to broadcast them again will be demanded.