Here we go - News Censorship

[tropical]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

#90:
"The page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1976."


What to said,

probably the censors decided that the Scorpions fans have the possibility to see/buy the album/cover only at the store, not to be seen everywhere worldwide by web as on the Wiki,

but it seems that the measures wasn't equal for all on the net, because there are plenty worst sites not fined and not obscured ...

Probably there was the logic:

you are the "good guys" (the Wiki), so you must not release that
(so, fine'm),

for the "bad guys" on the net remains probably the formulation:
"when we catch them, we fined them",

but seems that this last part goes harder ...

[Shiloh]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Source: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/...cle5311241.ece

The legal petition also follows unconfirmed reports that Faheem Ahmed Ansari, a suspected militant who was arrested in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in February, said he was shown maps of Indian locations on Google Earth by members of Lashkar-e-Taiber, the Pakistan-based terrorist faction that Indian officials are convinced was behind the Mumbai attacks.

Ansari was carrying a fake Pakistani passport and a list and maps of nine targets in southern Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel and other sites attacked last month, a senior police officer told The Times.

Security agencies have called for the wealth of data available on Google Earth to be limited for several years amid fears the freely available application may prove invaluable for militants planning terrorist attacks.

In 2005, the operators of Australia's nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights called on the internet giant to censor images of the plant, warning that the images could be used by terrorists.

Earlier, the satellite photographs of the installation would have been available only to a handful of government agencies and NASA, they said.

In the same year, it was reported that Google omitted to blur the roof of the White House in Washington when it updated the images available on Google Earth ? something it had done previously.

South Korea and Thailand also complained after the layout of air bases was revealed.

The Mumbai terrorists concentrated their attacks in south Mumbai, a popular tourist location. However, the plea filed with the Bombay High Court claims that Google Earth includes "absolutely no control to prevent misuse or limit access" to details of nearby sensitive locations, such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

The complaint comes just weeks after India said it would launch its own version of Google Earth.

The project, dubbed Bhuvan (Sanskrit for Earth), is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which is based in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of the subcontinent.

It comes as India redoubles its efforts to reap profits from its 45-year-old space programme, long criticised as a drain on a country where 700 million people live on USD2 a day or less.

Bhuvan will use a network of satellites to create a high-resolution, birds-eye view of India ? and later, possibly, the rest of the world ? that will be accessible at no cost online and will compete with Google.

Isro officials say Bhuvan will provide images of far greater resolution than are currently available online ? particularly of the subcontinent, a region where large areas remain virtually unmapped.

The agency intends to refresh its images every year ? a feature that would give it an edge over its biggest rival and help keep track of the frenetic pace at which India's cities are growing.

About 2.5 million people used Google Earth in the UK last month, according to Neilsen, the web analysts, making it the web's seventh most popular application behind tools such as Apple's iTunes (fourth with 5.7 million users) and Windows Live Messenger (first with 14.8 million).

[JJackson]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Well it was nice while it lasted.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7785248.stm

China 'bans BBC Chinese website'


<!-- S BO --> <!-- S IBYL --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="466"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="bottom"> By Quentin Sommerville
BBC News, Beijing
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<!-- E IBYL --> <!-- S IIMA --> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="226"> <tbody><tr><td> Authorities in Beijing unblocked the BBC's Chinese language site in July

</td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- S SF -->China appears to have banned a number of foreign websites, including the BBC's Chinese language news site and Voice of America in Chinese.
The sites had been unblocked after journalists attending the Beijing Olympics complained that the government was censoring sites deemed sensitive.
But they have been banned again, along with some Hong Kong and Taiwan sites.
A foreign ministry spokesman refused to confirm that the government was behind the censorship.

[Shiloh]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Source: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081220/D956H5N02.html


China blocks access to New York Times Web site

Dec 20, 10:40 AM (ET)


BEIJING (AP) - China has blocked access to the New York Times Web site, the newspaper said Saturday, days after the central government defended its right to censor online content it deems illegal.

Computer users who logged on in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou received a message that the site was not available when they tried to connect on Friday morning, the paper said. Some users were cut of as early as Thursday evening, it said.

The Web site remained inaccessible from Beijing Saturday.

It was not clear if the move was meant to block specific content on the newspaper's Web site or if it was a return to stricter censorship of the Internet in general. Beijing loosened some media and Internet controls during the 2008 Summer Olympics - gestures that were meant to show the international community that the games had brought greater freedom to the Chinese people.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said they do not deal with Web sites. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates the Internet, could not be reached for comment.

Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao defended China's right to censor Web sites that have material deemed illegal by the government, saying that other countries regulate Internet usage too.

During the August games, China allowed access to long-barred Web sites such as the British Broadcasting Corp. and Human Rights Watch after an outcry from foreign reporters who complained that Beijing was failing to live up to its pledges of greater media freedom.

The New York Times said Beijing had blocked the Chinese-language Web site of the BBC, and Web sites of Voice of America, Asiaweek, and Ming Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper, earlier in the week. But apart from Ming Pao the sites were all accessible Friday, it said.

Ming Pao's online site was still inaccessible Saturday in Beijing.

China has the most online users in the world with more than 250 million, but it has also put in place a sophisticated system to police Web sites for sensitive material and routinely blocks sites that support Tibetan independence or the region's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

A spokeswoman for The Times, Catherine J. Mathis, told the paper that there did not appear to be a technical issue. Users in Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.S. were also not experiencing difficulties, the paper said.

[Giuseppe]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Obedience is no longer a virtue


The Senate has approved the filtering of websites via the D'Alia amendment, named after the UDC Senator and bench colleague of Cuffaro.

In future, should a blogger incite anyone to disobey any law that he/she believes to be unjust, the service providers can be obliged to shut down the website in question.

These guys are currently coming up with a new unjust law each and every day. We are only spoilt for choice.

The first of these was the Alfano Bill and the latest one requires doctors to report illegal immigrants that come to them for treatment.

Now the D'Alia Law provides that an Internet service provider may be obliged to shut down a website wherever it may be based, even abroad.

What they are doing in essence is deploying servers at our borders instead of armies.

The only possible response to a law such as this is civil disobedience.

They may never give up (is it in their interests?), but neither will we.

?Art. 50-bis. Repression of activities involving the defence of, or the instigation to commit a crime via the Internet

1. When prosecuting crimes involving instigation to commit a crime or to disobey the law, in other words for defending any crime specified in the Penal Code or other penal provisions, and there are sufficient grounds to suggest that a person is involved is such defence or instigation by electronic means via the Internet, after having notified the judicial authorities the Minister for Internal Affairs may issue a decree providing for the indicated activity to be stopped and order the Internet Service Provider in question to utilise any appropriate filtering tools that may be necessary to this end.

2. The Minister of Internal Affairs shall avail himself of the services of the Post and Communications Police to undertake any investigations aimed at issuing the decree as specified at clause No.1. Any objections regarding the interruption of the service provision may be referred to the judicial authorities. The provision contained in Clause 1 shall be revoked immediately in the absence of the grounds stipulated in the aforesaid Clause.

3.I In terms of the provisions of Clause 1, Internet Service Providers shall be required to make the necessary arrangements to comply with the filtering order within 24 hours. Violation of this requirement shall result in the application of an administrative punitive fine of between 50,000 Euro and 250,000 Euro, which will be ordered by the Minister of Internal Affairs via an appropriate provision.

4. Within 60 days from the date of publication of this law, the Minister of Internal Affairs shall issue a special decree, in agreement with the Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Public Administration and Innovation, establishing and defining the technical requirements for the filtering tools specified in Clause 1, as well as the associated technological solutions.

5. Clause four of article 266 of the Penal Code, number 1) states the following: "by means of the press, electronically via the Internet, or by other propaganda means "."

"Dear Beppe,
For some time now, every time I receive any news informing me about the Government?s latest legislative injustice I find myself asking whether it is proper to respect unjust laws. Laws promulgated to protect the rights of the chosen few and destroy the lives of many.
At this time, and with these thoughts going through my mind, I find the words of Don Milani to be very relevant and, forty years on, I believe that they deserve to come back and prick everyone?s conscience. Obedience is no longer a virtue. In 1965, the use of force as the sole strategy for protecting the Homeland was called into question. Today we need to stir up new conscientious objectors with the ability to sound reasoning to judiciously criticise these unjust laws that are being imposed on us. Filippo
"[...] It is not my intention to preach the Gospel in this letter. It is very easy to prove that Jesus was against the use of violence and that in his own case He never even accepted the principle of legitimate defence.
I will rather refer you to the Constitution.
Article 11. "Italy rejects the use of war as a tool to deprive other peoples of their liberty...".
Article 52. "It is every citizen?s sacred duty to defend his/her Homeland ".
Let us use this as a measuring staff to assess the wars to which the Italian population has been called in one Century of our history. If we find that the history of our military forces is rife with offences against other peoples? Homelands, then you should tell us whether, in those cases, the soldiers should have obeyed or disobeyed the dictates of their consciences. Then you will also have to explain to us who defended the Homeland and its honour: those that objected or those that by obeying orders made our Homeland the most hated in the civilised world? Enough with these highbrow and generic discussions. Come down to Earth. Tell us precisely what you have taught our soldiers. Obedience at all costs? What if the order given was to bomb civilians, an action of reprisal against an unarmed village, summary execution of partisans, the use of atomic weapons, chemical weapons or torture, the execution of hostages, summary trials for simple suspects, decimation (the random selection of some or other Homeland soldier and then have him shot by a firing squad in order to instil fear in the remaining Homeland troops), blatant acts of aggression, the orders of a officer rebelling against a sovereign population, the repression of public demonstrations? [...]" Don Milani

http://www.beppegrillo.it/eng/

[Shiloh]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Source: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30776

7.04 - Argentina: Chaco province radio station sabotaged

Reporters Without Borders voices its support for the staff of LT 43 Mocovi, a radio station based in Charata, in the northern province of Chaco, after its antenna was destroyed in an apparently deliberate act of sabotage on 1 April, depriving it of the ability to broadcast on the AM waveband. ?We are currently broadcasting on FM 95.7 and on the Internet,? presenter Hugo Banegas told Reporters Without Borders. While the motives of the saboteurs have yet to be established, the staff thinks they were political. The station has been critical of the municipal government?s attempts to combat a dengue epidemic. ?One of our women journalists was attacked on the eve of the antenna?s destruction,? Banegas said.

Reporters Without Borders said: ?As well as an investigation that quickly establishes the origin of the sabotage, we would like LT43 Mocovi to be given all the help it needs to resume broadcasting normally.? Another Argentine radio station, LT6 Radio Goya, was the target of sabotage in the northeastern province of Corrientes on 12 January. The damage to LT43 Mocovi is put at 250,000 pesos (50,000 euros). It could take the station more than a month to resume normal broadcasting.

[Giuseppe]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Reuters AlertNet - Italy state TV fires cartoonist for quake drawing

Italy state TV fires cartoonist for quake drawing

[From IOH: Vauro Senesi, the cartoonist, is also a journalist and member of the NGO Emergency (Relief for Civilian War Victims) and reporter for PeaceReporter news agency. He is also an editor and cartoonist for the daily newspaper ''il Manifesto'' since early '90. He wrote some books, for example ''Il Mago del Vento'' (The Wizard of the Wind) about the life of an Iraqi boy. The short video of the ''criminal'' cartoon is available at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWWBX...ayer_embedded]

15 Apr 2009 20:02:19 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Gavin Jones
ROME, April 15 (Reuters) -

One of Italy's most popular cartoonists has been fired by state television company RAI for an anti-government drawing deemed offensive to victims of last week's earthquake.


Vauro Senese's dismissal on Wednesday sparked an angry reaction from the centre-left opposition which branded it censorship underscoring the grip that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has over Italy's media.

The cartoon appeared on current affairs programme Annozero, whose coverage of the authorities' handling of the earthquake has been attacked by ruling politicians since it was aired last Thursday.

As well as firing Senese, RAI Director General Mauro Masi, who was recently appointed by Berlusconi'a parliamentary majority, ordered the programme's anchorman Michele Santoro to "re-balance" his coverage in this Thursday's programme.

The cartoon, aimed at government plans to ease restrictions on home extensions to boost the economy, featured an exhausted grave digger standing over a line of coffins under the caption "Increasing the cubic metres ...of the cemeteries".

Masi said it was "gravely damaging to feelings of pity for the dead".

Santoro, a left-winger who has clashed with media tycoon Berlusconi in the past, interviewed people who said rescue plans in the quake-prone area could have been better and criticised some aspects of the relief effort.

"You can't just censor things you don't like," said Dario Franceschini, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (PD). "The freedom of journalists to recount the facts has to be respected."

A member of RAI's board called Masi "the great inquisitor".

Annozero was one of few critical voices in television coverage which focused almost exclusively on positive aspects of the authorities' response to the quake that devastated the city of l'Aquila and killed 294 people.

Berlusconi, who owns Italy's main private television network Mediaset and as prime minister has indirect control over RAI, has shown increasing annoyance with the press in recent weeks.He said he was tempted to take "direct and tough action" against Italian media he accused of false coverage of alleged gaffes he had made at international summits.

(Reporting by Gavin Jones; editing by Robert Woodward)
-

<cite cite="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LF600874.htm">Reuters AlertNet - Italy state TV fires cartoonist for quake drawing</cite>

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Press Freedom Declines In Every Region


Press Freedom: NZ Drops To 11= In World Rankings

Saturday, 02 May 2009, 1:59 pm
Press Release: IFEX
Global Press Freedom Declines In Every Region For First Time, Says Freedom House Report
SOURCE: Freedom House, New York

Global Press Freedom Declines in Every Region for First Time Israel, Italy and Hong Kong Lose Free Status

(Freedom House/IFEX) - Washington - May 1, 2009 - Journalists faced an increasingly grim working environment in 2008, with global press freedom declining for a seventh straight year and deterioration occurring for the first time in every region, according to Freedom House's annual media study. The rollback was not confined to traditionally authoritarian states; with Israel, Italy and Hong Kong slipping from the study's Free category to Partly Free status.

"The journalism profession today is up against the ropes and fighting to stay alive, as pressures from governments, other powerful actors and the global economic crisis take an enormous toll," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director. "The press is democracy's first defense and its vulnerability has enormous implications for democracy if journalists are not able to carry out their traditional watchdog role."

Freedom House will formally release findings from Freedom of the Press 2009 on Friday, May 1 at 10 a.m. in Washington in front of the organization's giant Map of Press Freedom at the Newseum. A live webcast and photos from the event will be available for download on http://www.freedomhouse.org.

The study indicates that there were twice as many losses as gains in 2008, with declines and stagnation in East Asia of particular concern. While parts of South Asia and Africa made progress, overall these gains were overshadowed by a campaign of intimidation targeting independent media, particularly in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East and North Africa.

There were some notable improvements. The Maldives made the study's largest jump, moving to the Partly Free category with the adoption of a new constitution protecting freedom of expression and the release of a prominent journalist from life imprisonment. Guyana regained its Free rating with fewer attacks on journalists and a government decision to lift a boycott on advertising in the main independent newspaper.

Out of the 195 countries and territories covered in the study, 70 (36 percent) are rated Free, 61 (31 percent) are rated Partly Free and 64 (33 percent) are rated Not Free. This represents a modest decline from the 2008 survey in which 72 countries and territories were Free, 59 Partly Free and 64 Not Free. The new survey found that only 17 percent of the world's population lives in countries that enjoy a Free press.

Key regional findings include:

- Asia Pacific: Cambodia dropped to Not Free status because of increased violence against journalists.

Hong Kong slipped to Partly Free as Beijing exerted growing influence over media. China's media environment remained bleak.

Media in Taiwan faced assault and growing government pressure.

South Asia saw improvements in the Maldives, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while Sri Lanka and Afghanistan suffered setbacks.

- Central and Eastern Europe/Former Soviet Union: The region suffered the biggest drop in press freedom of any region, with journalists murdered in Bulgaria and Croatia and assaulted in Bosnia. Russia's score declined with the judiciary unwilling to protect journalists from attacks, as well as the frequent targeting of independent media by regulators. -

Middle East and North Africa: The region continues to have the world's lowest level of press freedom. Restrictions on journalists and official attempts to influence coverage during the Gaza conflict led to Israel's Partly Free status.

The Israeli-Occupied Territories/Palestinian Authority saw declines with both Hamas and Fatah intimidating journalists.

Iraq saw the security environment for journalists improve and new legal protections for media in the Kurdish areas.

- Sub-Saharan Africa: Press freedom suffered in Senegal with an increase in both legal and extralegal action taken against media.

In Madagascar, media outlets critical of the government were targeted.

Other declines were seen in Botswana, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Lesotho, Mauritania, South Africa and Tanzania. Comoros, Sierra Leone, Angola and Liberia improved.

- Americas: Guyana regained its Free rating, while Haiti and Uruguay saw significant improvement.

However,

Mexico's score dropped again because of increased violence, the government's unwillingness to make legal reforms, and pressure on media from local and state officials.

Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Nicaragua registered major declines. -

Western Europe: The region continues to boast the world's highest level of press freedom.

However, Italy slipped back into the Partly Free category with free speech limited by courts and libel laws, increased intimidation of journalists by organized crime and far-right groups, and concerns over the concentration of media ownership.

Greece also suffered a significant decline.

Freedom House has assessed the degree of print, broadcast and internet freedom in every country in the world since 1980. The 2009 ratings are based on an assessment of the legal, political and economic environments in which journalists worked in 2008.

"The declines in East Asia are particularly disappointing, given the increased attention on the region because of the Beijing Olympics," said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, Freedom House senior researcher and managing editor of the study. "China should have had a better record in 2008 and upheld its promise to ensure press freedom during the Olympics, but instead it chose to remain the world's largest repressor of media freedom."

Key trends that led to numerical movements in the study include:
* Fragile Freedoms: Declines in Israel, Italy and Taiwan illustrate that established democracies with traditionally open media are not immune to restricting media freedom. Over the last five years, a number of emerging democracies have also suffered considerable declines in press freedom including: Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Thailand, the Philippines and Senegal.

* Consolidating Control: Authoritarian states are increasingly consolidating control of the media. In the last five years, space for independent media shrunk significantly in countries like Russia, Ethiopia and The Gambia.

* Violence and Impunity: The level of violence and physical harassment directed at the press by both government and non-state actors continues to rise in many countries. Many of these cases go unsolved and these attacks have a chilling effect on media, contributing to self-censorship.

* Punitive laws: Both governments and private individuals continue to restrict media freedom through laws that forbid "inciting hatred," commenting on sensitive topics such as religion or ethnicity, or "endangering national security." Libel and defamation laws remain a widespread way to punish the press.

* New media: Freedom House?s recently released internet freedom index finds that new media outlets are often freer than traditional media and have the potential to open repressive media environments such as China and Iran. However, as new media gains influence, governments are beginning to crack down on internet users by employing traditional means of repression.

The world?s worst-rated countries continue to include Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea and Turkmenistan. The study found that the level of media freedom in these countries remained stagnant in 2008, despite hope that the internet and new media might provide openings in the media environment.
ENDS

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0905/S00041.htm

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

DR Congo: Radio France banned

Posted on Thursday 7 May 2009 - 07:30

Jerry Nguwa, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya

The DR Congo has banned French international radio broadcaster - Radio France International (RFI) from operating. The ban follows alleged continuous broadcast of 'provocative statements' against the government, Congolese officials say. It affects mainly the Oriental Province's Ituri.

The Congolese Intelligence Service carried out the operation following public complaint by the Congolese Minister for Communication who is also the government spokesman, Lambert Mende Omalanga.

The minister threatened to shut down RFI in the entire DRC if the French broadcaster continued to air what he called ?provocative statements?. The minister claimed that some programmed aired on RFI alleged that the DRC cannot be ruled from Kinshasa, which poses serious security threat in the country.

The personal assistant to the minister confirmed the story and reiterated that if necessary, the Congolese government will shut down all foreign media that threatens national integrity.

Recently, Rwanda banned the BBC local service within its boundaries.

[Treyfish]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

Wednesday, July 15, 2009


Iran to lay out new media law


Iran has proposed a new set of media guidelines to ensure that any criticism of state affairs will not stray from objectivity in the future.

Head of Iran's General Investigation Organization Mostafa Pourmohammadi said Tuesday that the projected guidelines would by no means limit the influence of state media, but would merely ensure that future criticism is constructive and presented in a non-judgmental manner.

The new media law came after state media became awash with provocative, insulting, derogatory, and defamatory reports following the June 12 elections.

Pourmohammadi stressed that his department had stepped up efforts to strengthen law enforcement efforts in the country.

?Adherence to the law is of such importance that for example we have even criticized the Parliament (Majlis) in the past for going against the law on some issues,? said Pourmohammadi.

?When it comes to rules and regulations, each and every individual is duty-bound to go by the book,? added the former Interior Minister.

Pourmohammadi also commented on the complaints made against the alleged use of government resources for or against candidates during the election campaign.

?The use of state resources for pre-election publicity and campaign gains is illegal,? said Pourmohammadi. ?In this regard, we have decided to refer a number of cases to court.?http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=198856

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

[Google Translation]

Limited access to media in Uyapar
Sunday, August 02, 2009

Although health authorities rule out further infections of influenza AH1N1 in Hospital Uyapar continues in the atmosphere of anxiety that do not allow the presence of the media.


Several people took the precaution to unconfirmed information from the presence of the virus in the Uyapar

The Hospital Emergency Uyapar in Puerto Ordaz, on Saturday morning without a warning sign on the presence of patients with influenza AH1N1. But continued restrictions on access, at least for reporteriles teams of different media, including Mail Caron?.

"The emergence of Guaiparo Hospital Uyapar and work perfectly. The cartel was due to an array of opinion, no one knows who ordered the paper to put in the gate of entry to the emergency, "said Valdez, who added that is being investigated to find the person responsible for hitting a poster warning about the presence of influenza in the new public health center.

snip

Furthermore, it was learned today that the governor of Bolivar, and representatives from health agencies should provide information to clarify questions for the media and the general public regarding the current influenza virus AH1N1 in the region, according to a communique regional government.

Adds that this sent Monday at 9:00 in the morning will be held at the premises of the CTE Cachamay a forum to the precautionary measures to be taken with respect AH1N1 virus.

snip

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: Here we go - News Censorship

[I came on the following article by chance... about Venezuela, just after I posted the above. From the other articles in this paper, it looks like the battle between media and government has gone on for a while.]

Venezuela begins shutdown of 34 radio stations
By Stabroek staff | August 2, 2009 in World News

CARACAS (Reuters) ? More than a dozen of 34 radio stations ordered shut by the Venezuelan government went off the air yesterday, part of President Hugo Chavez?s drive to extend his socialist revolution to the media.

The association of radio broadcasters said 13 stations had stopped transmitting, following an announcement Friday night by government broadcasting watchdog Conatel that 34 radio outlets would be closed because they failed to comply with regulations.

Critics said that the crackdown infringed on freedom of speech and that owners were not given the right to a proper defence.

?They?re closing the space for dissidents in Venezuela,? William Echeverria, head of the National Council of Journalists, told RCTV, a private cable TV station, which did not have its broadcasting license renewed in 2007.

Chavez supporters say they are waging a ?media war? against private news companies and have denounced in recent days what they say is a renewed offensive by privately owned domestic and international media to discredit Venezuela.

Diosdado Cabello, the public works minister who also oversees Conatel, said some of the radio stations were shut because they did not have their broadcasting licences renewed and others transferred them illegally to new owners.

Conatel delivered an order to CNB radio in Caracas before dawn for its five stations to stop transmitting by 8 am, the station said on its website.

At CNB?s headquarters in downtown Caracas, hundreds of CNB employees and government critics gathered to protest the shutdown.

CNB said it would continue to broadcast on its Internet site, www.cnb.com.ve.

?This government has turned into a mutilator of rights,? Juan Carlos Caldera, of the opposition political party Primero Justicia, said on Globovision TV.

Antonio Ledezma, the opposition mayor of Caracas, called on Venezuelans to protest the move in the streets.

One of the stations to cease operations was Radio Bonita 1520 AM in the city of Guatire, 25 miles (40 km) from Caracas.

?Fifteen years after my father died, they tell me (broadcasting) licences can?t be inherited, we?re shocked,? Felix Ali Obelmejia, director of Radio Bonita, told Globovision.

Cabello defended the closures, saying they were part of the government?s effort to democratize the airwaves.

?These decisions are strictly within the law,? he said.

?When the government decided to democratize the radio-electric spectrum and end the media (oligopoly) it was serious. In the streets, the nation is waiting and especially those that have been asking for years to obtain a licence,? Cabello said.

Another 120 radio stations were being investigated for administrative irregularities and the radio frequency of stations being shut down would be transferred to new community broadcasters, he said.

Venezuela?s attorney general presented this week draft legislation that would establish prison sentences for anyone who provides false information that harms the interests of the state. Rights groups harshly criticized the proposal.

As part of his drive to remake Venezuela as a socialist country, Chavez has vastly expanded the number of publicly owned television and radio stations since he took office in 1999. Some are directly owned or financed by the government, while others are operated by cooperatives and community groups.