Argentine audiovisual space

Lights and shadows of a successful present and an uncertain future

Abstract

The Argentine radio broadcasting system has historically been characterized by its private and commercial structure, with State actions that, in most processes, have tended to benefit this logic. Since the coming of democracy, the broadcasting law was modified to facilitate the creation of media conglomerates, allow the entry of foreign capital, and reinforce a system based on the search for profit. The outcome shows that the concentration of media property grew at a constant rate and that each new government reinforced the inherited structure. Now, if one considers an expanded audiovisual space, which includes the film sector, then the journey becomes more complex, given the diversity of policies implemented in each space. On the one hand, we find regulation and public action with negative aspects for democratization. On the other, a long-term State policy with benefits for national production and questions about the future. This paper outlines a tour of public communication policies in the Argentine audiovisual sector (film and TV). Firstly, it proposes a brief systematization of film policy. Secondly, it carries out an analysis of the period that began in 2008 and continues to this day, which has placed communication media at the center of debate. Lastly, a conclusion is offered, with a series of questions regarding the dilemmas faced by the sector in the current dynamic.