Overview
- The CRT published draft Lineamientos Generales that would require radio and television concessionaires to register codes of ethics, appoint an audience defender (ombudsman) and set up complaint procedures while excluding digital platforms.
- Critics and an August Wall Street Journal opinion argued the draft could let the CRT act as an arbiter of truth, raising fears it might chill editorial freedom by enabling monitoring and sanctions tied to content.
- CRT executive secretary Enrique Pavón Baños and President Claudia Sheinbaum denied the rules create prior censorship and said audience defenders are chosen by the media and only registered with the commission.
- The commission said it has received more than six thousand consultation comments and will issue a grouped report of considerations and make adjustments before finalizing the rules, with debate focused on article 295 and a proposed sanction range of 0.1–1 percent of annual revenue.
- The draft builds on the CRT’s role as the successor to the IFT, and its outcome could reshape how Mexican broadcasters handle complaints, ethical codes and oversight, possibly prompting legal clarifications or further industry pushback.