Bolivia TV (Empresa Estatal de Televisión)

Bolivia TV was established in 1969 through a decree adopted by the military government of General René Barrientos Ortuño. The transition from the military regime to civilian elections and democracy took place between 1985 and 1999. Following the appointment of Evo Morales in 2006, the company Bolivia TV was created in April 2009 to spread the “official view of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.” Today the network operates two channels: 7 (airing varied content including newscasts, educational programs, concerts and documentaries) and 7.2 (focused on sports programming).


Media assets

Television: Bolivia TV

State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)


Ownership and governance

According to the decree that established it, Bolivia TV is a state-owned company with “autonomy of administrative, financial, legal and technical management, under the supervision of the Ministry of the Presidency.” The person in charge of the station is a general manager appointed by the ministry. Following the change in the government in 2020, the newly elected authorities led by the Socialist Party (MAS) changed the management of all state media in Bolivia, including Bolivia TV (as well as managers in the station’s local subsidiaries), a clear sign that the government is planning to cement its control over the state media.

Source of funding and budget

The decree that established Bolivia TV allows for mixed financing, including the sale of commercial advertising and services. However, the majority of the station’s income continues to come from the state (including funds in the form of state advertising). In 2021, the station’s total budget was BOB 83.8m (US$ 11.bm), of which some 92% came from the government (54% through state-paid ads and 37% from state budget allocations), according to the broadcaster’s latest annual report.

Editorial independence

In theory, Bolivia TV has independence: according to the decree that established it, the station is technically autonomous. In reality, however, being run by state authorities (the information ministry until 2020, the ministry of presidency now), the station routinely favors the government of the day.

Academic studies have documented in recent years the pro-government bias at Bolivia TV, which as a rule gives considerably more air space to government officials than to opposition representatives.

No domestic statute that establishes the independence of Bolivia TV has been identified.

Although the Bolivian Constitution in article 107 states that “information and opinions issued through the mass media must respect the principles of truthfulness and responsibility” and a National Ethics Court appointed by groups of journalists is operational in Bolivia, no independent assessment mechanism to validate the independence of Bolivia TV has been identified.

August 2023