Early Monday morning, military and police personnel forcefully shut down the Tegucigalpa-based Radio Globo under a decree by the de facto government that suspends civil liberties, CPJ reported. Today, Honduran and international media outlets said the radio station was being broadcast online.
Radio Globo’s owner, Alejandro Villatoro, told the Spanish news service EFE that the station began broadcasting online just hours after police officers and soldiers raided the its offices and confiscated material and equipment. Villatoro said online transmission was being aired from a private home, and would continue until authorities were able to determine their location and again close them down, EFE reported.
Until late this afternoon, Radio Globo could still be heard online. Its transmissions are being streamed on RadioGloboHonduras.
Radio Globo and TV station Canal 36, also closed by Honduran authorities on Monday, are private broadcasters known for their loyalty to ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Canal 36 was not transmitting today. News reports said that the buildings, which house both stations, remained under heavy police custody. Radio Globo and Canal 36 have been forced off the air several times since Zelaya was ousted three months ago. They were the first to report on Zelaya’s return to Tegucigalpa last week.
Meanwhile, EFE reported that the interim Honduran government led by Roberto Micheletti has hired a U.S.-based public relations company to improve its image abroad following a slew of harsh criticism from the international community.
Maria Salazar Ferro is director of CPJ’s Emergencies Department, overseeing the organization’s assistance and safety work worldwide. She is president of the board of the ACOS (A Culture of Safety) Alliance, a coalition aimed at improving protections for freelancers. She joined CPJ in 2005 and has served as coordinator for the Journalist Assistance Program and the Global Campaign Against Impunity, and as senior research associate for the Americas program.