Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía
{{short description|Mexican government agency}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox organization
|native_name = Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía
|native_name_lang = es
|name=General Directorate of Radio, Television and Film
|abbreviation = RTC
|image = File: RTC Logo 2018.jpg
|formation = {{Start date and age|1977|7|6}}
|type = Broadcast content regulator and film and television rating board
|headquarters = Mexico City
|leader_title = Director
|leader_name = Rodolfo González Fernández
|parent_organization = Secretariat of the Interior
|website = {{URL|https://dgrtc.segob.gob.mx}}
}}
The Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía (General Directorate of Radio, Television and Film), known by its acronym RTC, is an agency of the Mexican Secretariat of the Interior (SEGOB). It rates films and television programs broadcast in the country, and it also manages the time allotted to the government on broadcast television and radio stations, including the production and distribution of La Hora Nacional, a weekly program heard on all radio stations in Mexico.
Its current director is Rodolfo González Fernández.{{Cite web |date=2019-01-23 |title=Quién es Rodolfo González, el próximo director de comunicación social de la RTC |url=https://news.culturacolectiva.com/mexico/quien-es-rodolfo-gonzalez-fernandez-proximo-director-rtc/ |access-date=2021-03-16 |website=news.culturacolectiva.com |language=es}}
History
The RTC was created on July 6, 1977, by a decree published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación.[http://dof.gob.mx/nota_to_imagen_fs.php?codnota=4632173&fecha=06/07/1977&cod_diario=199249 DOF July 6, 1977: "Reglamento Interior de la Secretaría de Gobernación"] Its first director was Margarita López Portillo.Javier González Rubio and José Carreño Carlón, México: 30 años en movimiento, 1998, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wPQ7F897hnwC&dq=%22direcci%C3%B3n+general+de+radio+televisi%C3%B3n+y+cinematograf%C3%ADa%22&pg=PA186 p. 186] When it was created, it took over various tasks, including the operations of the national radio station Radio México, rural television services and other radio and television stations owned by the federal government and the management of the National Film Archive. It also proceeded to liquidate the nearly 40-year-old National Film Bank. In 1983, the broadcast stations under RTC's purview were transferred to new government institutes.Enrique E. Sánchez Ruiz, [http://dspace.universia.net/bitstream/2024/1192/1/CRONOLOGIA+DE+LA+TELEVISION+MEXICANA-1.pdf "Hacia una cronología de la televisión mexicana"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092937/http://dspace.universia.net/bitstream/2024/1192/1/CRONOLOGIA+DE+LA+TELEVISION+MEXICANA-1.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}, Comunicación y Sociedad 10–11 (April 1991), 235–62 In 1985, it received further power by issuing opinions on broadcast stations during their concession renewals (managed by the SCT), and in 1989, it took over production of La Hora Nacional, government commercials, and mandatory cadenas nacionales. At this time, it also began rating movies and television programs.
In 2006, the RTC closed its nine regional offices which had monitored broadcast stations throughout the country, in favor of monitoring stations from Mexico City only.{{cite news|work=Reforma|date=2006-05-02|title=Clausura RTC su monitoreo en los estados; Cierra la dependencia, sin dar una razón oficial, sus delegaciones en el interior del País|first1=Perla|last1=Martínez|first2=Manuel|last2=Appendini}}
From 2014 to 2018, RTC was headed by Amador Díaz Moguel.{{cite news|work=El Informador|date=2014-07-13|accessdate=2016-02-12|url=http://www.informador.com.mx/mexico/2014/538076/6/la-segob-nombra-a-coordinador-de-asesores-y-a-director-en-rtc.htm|title=La Segob nombra a coordinador de asesores y a director en RTC}}
Functions
The RTC has several functions in the three media covered in its remit:
=Government broadcasts and advertising=
In radio, the RTC coordinates the broadcasting of government public service announcements and cadenas nacionales across the country's radio stations and makes new PSAs and content available over the internet. In most years, except during election campaigns when electoral authorities and parties take it over, the RTC controls 88 percent of the time allotted to the government, with the remaining 12 percent managed by the National Electoral Institute.[http://norma.ine.mx/documents/27912/276864/2014_Reglamento_Radio_TV.pdf/9920dceb-1e19-46dd-8a8a-1afc574f27d1 "Reglamento de Radio y Televisión en Materia Electoral", Instituto Nacional Electoral, 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411221048/http://norma.ine.mx/documents/27912/276864/2014_Reglamento_Radio_TV.pdf/9920dceb-1e19-46dd-8a8a-1afc574f27d1 |date=2016-04-11 }}, p. 30 Likewise, the RTC also distributes PSAs for air on television stations, as well as longer-form programs that must be at least five minutes in length.{{cite news|work=OroNoticias|url=http://www.oronoticias.com.mx/nota/107734/Pierde-amparo-TV-Azteca-y-Canal-40-tendran-que-transmitir-programacion-cultural|title=Pierde amparo TV Azteca y Canal 40, tendrán que transmitir programación cultural|date=2013-10-14|accessdate=2016-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305125237/http://www.oronoticias.com.mx/nota/107734/Pierde-amparo-TV-Azteca-y-Canal-40-tendran-que-transmitir-programacion-cultural|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=dead}}
=Rating, standards and censorship=
The RTC also has the power to regulate content and programming in broadcasting and film, as the manager of the country's film and television rating systems. It issues the required permits to broadcast religious programming and sanctions violators of its policies on language, standards of conduct and station contests. From 2013 to 2015, however, it rarely used this power, only issuing two fines, one to a Monterrey radio station for "corrupt language" and another to a Mérida broadcaster for improperly held contests.{{cite web|work=SinEmbargo|date=2015-11-17|accessdate=2016-02-13|first=Gabriel|last=Sosa Plata|url=http://www.sinembargo.mx/opinion/17-11-2015/41586|title=Dos multitas a radio y TV}}
The RTC's ratings scale includes AA , A , B , B-15 , C , and D classifications. On television, the rating of a program determines the time period when it may be broadcast: for instance, programs rated B-15 can only be aired after 7pm, those rated C can only be aired after 9pm, and D-rated programming can only be screened after midnight, notably including telenovelas that deal with drug trafficking or cartels. Other media (such as television programs and movies) may be rated by other entities. The RTC rating system is one of various motion picture rating systems that are used to help parents decide what films and TV are appropriate for their children.
The RTC has also been far more lax than it once was in issuing permits for religious programming; while it issued 7,536 such authorizations between 2000 and 2001, it issued 380,263 of them in 2013 and 2014, a more than 50-fold increase.{{cite web|work=SinEmbargo|date=2016-02-09|accessdate=2016-02-13|first=Gabriel|last=Sosa Plata|url=http://www.sinembargo.mx/opinion/09-02-2016/45833|title=Medios papistas}}
=RTC film and television ratings=
class="wikitable" | ||||
Rating | Preferential audience | Preferred timetable | Treated topic | Descriptive |
---|---|---|---|---|
rowspan=5 | AA | rowspan=5 | All audiences; Understandable for children under 7 years | rowspan=5 | Any time | General | * Informative programs.
|
Violence | * May be minimal, as long as it is not encouraged.
| |||
Sex | * The naked human body is not shown.
| |||
Language | * Forbidden for this category. | |||
Drugs | * Forbidden for this category. | |||
rowspan=5 | A | rowspan=5 | All ages | rowspan=5 | Any Time | General | * Informative programs.
|
Violence | * Minimal aggression is allowed on the characters, as long as it is not promoted.
| |||
Sex | * Nudes can be presented as long as they are brief, not frequent or detailed.
| |||
Language | * May contain some bold expressions, as long as their use is justified.
| |||
Drugs | * Cartoons and children's series: There should be no scenes of drug use or mention of them.
| |||
rowspan=5 | B | rowspan=5 | Teens 12 years old and older | rowspan=5 | From 4:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. | General | * Informative programs.
|
Violence | * It should not be the main plot.
| |||
Sex | * There may be nudity, but not frequent.
| |||
Language | * Double entendre is permissible, but these should not be continuous or offensive and should not be part of the personality of the character.
| |||
Drugs | * Topics such as addiction and drugs may be mentioned, but not their consumption.
| |||
rowspan=5 | B-15 | rowspan=5 | 15 years old or older | rowspan=5 | From 7:00 p.m.to 5:59 a.m. | General | * Informative programs, with some complexity depending on the subject.
|
Violence | * There may be scenes of physical violence; While it is not the main plot and is justified by the argument.
| |||
Sex | * Erotic and sexual scenes can be performed, as long as they are implicit and not performed in degrading and/or humiliating contexts.
| |||
Language | * Indecent words and expressions are permitted, but they should not be part of the profile of the character nor present as a positive attribute.
| |||
Drugs | * Drug use may be explicit or constant, but this is minimal and discouraged, and its negative consequences are shown.
| |||
rowspan=5 | C | rowspan=5 | 18 years old or older | rowspan=5 | From 9:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. | General | * A restricted rating.
|
Violence | * All horror, even detailed, is authorized.
| |||
Sex | * There may be erotic nudity without genital presentation.
| |||
Language | * Any language can be used.
| |||
Drugs | * Consumption of drugs is authorized.
| |||
rowspan=5 | D | rowspan=5 | Adults only | rowspan=5 | From midnight to 5:00 a. m. | General | * The most restrictive rating.
|
Sex | * There may be scenes, implicit or direct, of sexual and nude relationships.
| |||
Drugs | * Scenes of drug use are presented.
| |||
Violence | rowspan="2" |
| |||
Language |
Ownership and operation of broadcast stations
In 1978, the government nationalized several radio stations that held outstanding debts, owned by Grupo Fórmula. As a result, the RTC-Radio Group was formed, with three stations: XEB, XERPM and XEMP, all in Mexico City. These stations would be transferred to the new Instituto Mexicano de la Radio in 1983.Fernando Mejía Barquera, "Historia mínima de la radio en México (1920–1996)", 1996.
The rural television service, known as Televisión Cultural de México and quickly changed to Televisión Rural de México and later Televisión de la República Méxicana (from 1980), also was transferred out of the RTC in 1983, to the newly formed Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión.
See also
References
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