In 1996, the National Institute of Radio and Television of Peru (IRTP) was created as a body in charge of managing Peru’s public broadcast media. The company runs TV Perú, the group’s flagship television channel whose history goes back to 1958, TV Peru Noticias focused on news content, TV Peru International dedicated to audiences in other countries and IPe Channel mostly focused on children and youth. IRTP also runs Nacional, a radio channel founded in 1937, whose mission is to promote culture, education and informative content. Radio La Crónica is also part of the group, a radio station mostly airing entertainment programming that covers only Lima, the capital of the country.
Media assets
Television: TV Perú, TV Peru Noticias, TV Peru Internacional, Canal IPe
Radio: Radio Nacional, Radio La Crónica
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
IRTP was established by the Legislative Decree No. 829 as an “autonomous public” institute. Its autonomy is, however, relative because IRTP is part of the government. In its early days, it was embedded in the Ministry of Education. Today it is part of the Ministry of Culture.
The Institute has a Board of Directors (consisting of a President and four members), an executive president and a general management (according to the Article 5 of its Rules of Procedure). The Board appoints and may remove the executive president and management of the IRTP. The Board is appointed by the President of the republic with the endorsement of his Minister of Culture.
Source of funding and budget
The IRTP had a budget in 2022 of PEN 132.5m (US$ 33.9m), most of it coming from the state budget (although the broadcaster is allowed to earn additional revenues from selling services).
Editorial independence
By naming the Board of Directors and with IRTP operating under the wing of the Ministry of Culture, the government exerts tight control over the editorial agenda of the media outlets run by IRTP. TV Peru states on its website that its mission is to promote national unity in line with the government’s goals. An informal content analysis shows that TV Peru includes opposition MPs in its programs, but, in general, its editorial coverage is clearly aligned with the government’s official interests and views.
For example, disseminating news related to health or education is useful for society, but when the topic is politically charged, the editorial angle chosen by the media under IRTP is favorable to the government. The show Marking Agenda, for example, was fully devoted to interviews with government officials who were given ample space to disseminate their achievements, activities and programs. Although interviewees were allowed to criticize the authorities, TV hosts never did that. The television programs of the IRTP looked like a bridge between the government and audiences.
Programs that are aimed at exposing corruption among politicians exclusively target those who are not in power anymore.
Generally, the editorial coverage is always favorable to the government, never giving the representatives of opposition parties space to question those in power. After the election of a new president in July 2021, the public media run by the IRTP has continued to offer friendly coverage to the newly elected administration. The journalists at IRTP work under significant pressures and are often required to bury critical stories. In 2023, several journalists and managers complained that they were suddenly sacked without serious arguments. IRTP responded by saying that those employees just resigned from their posts.
IRTP operates in line with the Organization and Operation Regulations, a set of rules that establish the nature and objectives of the institute. However, this document can’t be considered a statute that establishes IRTP’s editorial independence.
No independent assessment mechanism that would validate the editorial independence of IRTP has been identified.
August 2023