Contenidos Públicos (State Company of Public Content) is a state-owned company that manages the television broadcasters Encuentro, Paka Paka, Deportv, and the streaming platform Contar. Some of these channels’ productions are also broadcast on public television Channel 7. The channels specialize in educational content (Contar), children’s content (Paka Paka), documentaries, fiction series (Encuentro), and sports (Deportv).
Media assets
Television: Canal Encuentro, Paka Paka, Deportv, Contar
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Contenidos Públicos is governed by regulations that are included in a decree of creation and statute.
Contenidos Públicos is a state-owned entity subordinated to the Ministry of Media and Public Communication, which reports to the Head Office of Ministers. The ministry appoints the management of Contenidos Públicos.
The Encuentro Channel was created by Decree 533/2005 and initially functioned solely as a content producer. Later, it was “recognized” by the National Education Act 26206 and became subordinated to the Ministry of Education. Today, like all Contenidos Públicos channels, it operates under the Ministry of Media.
The company’s board of directors consists of three members appointed by the government based on nominations from the Ministry of Media.
In February 2024, the government of President Javier Milei, elected in the previous year, announced the privatization of Contenidos Públicos.
Source of funding and budget
In 2023, Contenidos Públicos received state funding totaling ARS 1.15bn (US$ 3.3m), according to a government report. The state funding is the primary source of financing for Contenidos Públicos.
Editorial independence
The directors of channels within Contenidos Públicos are appointed by the government, leading to tight government control over the editorial decision-making process. Nonetheless, some channels allow for a degree of independence and diversity by involving third-party producers such as academics, universities, documentary-makers, journalists, and independent producers in the creation of various programs.
Many of these productions favor left-leaning views and ideas endorsed by the government. Despite this, they are based on solid research and are made using high-quality standards. For instance, the series “Watch The History,” which reviews the history of Argentina, was produced with great technical and research skills. However, it is visibly biased in favor of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner, who were in power when the documentary was made.
Contenidos Públicos’s website states that “the state does not relinquish its role as a storyteller.”
No domestic statute or independent mechanism to assess or validate the editorial independence of Contenidos Públicos has been identified.
July 2024