The Brazil Communication Company (Empresa Brasil de Comunicação, EBC) was established in 2007. It currently includes the television channel TV Brasil, a radio network with seven stations across the country (FM National, Brasilia National, Rio de Janeiro National, Amazonia National, Alto S. National Park, MEX FM, and MEC AM), and two news agencies (Agencia Brasil and Radioagencia Nacional). EBC produces a wide range of content such as news, documentaries, sports, educational programs, cultural and religious shows (TV Brasil airs the Catholic Mass on Sundays).
Media assets
Television: TV Brasil, Canal Gov
Radio: Rádio Nacional FM, Nacional de Brasilia, Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Nacional da Amazonia, Nacional do Alto Solimoes, MEC FM Rio de Janeiro, MEC AM Rio de Janeiro
News agency: Agência Brasil, Radioagencia Nacional
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
EBC was established as a public company under Law 11.562 of 2017, and it operates under the Secretariat of Social Communication in the Presidential Office of the Republic. According to Article 12 of the law, EBC is governed by various structures, the most important being the Board of Directors and the Executive Board. All members of these boards are appointed by the government, mainly by the presidential office. The Director-President of the group is appointed through a presidential decree, with the most recent appointment being made in February 2019.
The Board of Directors comprises two advisers and four staff members, all appointed by the President. The Executive Board consists of the Director-President and the Director-General, both appointed by the Presidency of the Republic, along with up to six directors who can be appointed and removed by the Board of Directors. The Director-President has a four-year, renewable mandate, while all other directors have three-year mandates with the possibility of a single renewal. The main function of the Executive Board is to direct, supervise, coordinate, and control the activities of the company, as well as to lead the strategic institutional planning. It is responsible for the concrete management of the corporation and coordinates its activities with the Board of Directors. The presence of the Director-President on both boards is intended to facilitate communication between them.
The Financial Council, a governance body comprising three members appointed by the government (various ministries), is responsible for supervising the company’s financial management.
Source of funding and budget
The EBC’s primary funding source is the state, which channels financing through direct budget allocations, state advertising, and payments for services rendered to various state institutions. The EBC budget in 2023 reached BRL 840.88m (US$ 174m), with the majority of it provided from the government budget.
According to the law, EBC must be funded through budgetary allocations, services sales to public or private entities (e.g., sale and distribution of content), sponsorships, and donations. State advertising airtime must not exceed 15% of EBC’s total programming.
Editorial independence
The government’s appointment of the EBC’s governing structures allows them to control the outlet’s editorial content. While the group does employ some independent journalists known for their critical reporting, the editorial content disseminated by EBC’s media outlets depends on the government-appointed directors. In the past few years, this control has been evident in the broadcaster’s reporting on President Jair Bolsonaro.
An ad hoc content analysis conducted for this report in 2020, focusing on stories about Bolsonaro run by Agencia Brasil, one of EBC’s outlets, found overtly supportive coverage of the president and his work. Many of these articles highlight the president’s interest in the problems faced by people in Brazil, a tone typical of populist, state-controlled media. No criticism or negative comments about the president or his activities could be identified on any of the EBC’s platforms in 2020.
Local organizations published in 2021 a string of anonymous reports drafted by EBC employees that detailed 161 cases of censorship between August 2020 and July 2021, as reported by the Public Media Alliance.
The level of government control at EBC has grown over the past two years. As the privatization process at EBC has sped up, there have been ongoing reports of increased censorship and persecution. These actions were not unexpected to independent observers, given that President Bolsonaro significantly increased spending on public broadcasts to secure reelection in 2022. In various reports, the EBC was called the “mouthpiece of the state.”
In the autumn of 2022, a report compiled by the EBC’s staff details widespread censorship and coercion within the organization, encompassing restricted journalism, capricious reassignments, and bullying.
In July 2023, EBC announced the launch of a new government channel, Canal Gov, which will broadcast all programs to disseminate information about the government’s activities. As a result, EBC’s main channel TV Brasil was thus expected to cease covering the government. This move was intended to alleviate the pressure placed on TV Brasil by the authorities.
The reelection of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the October 2022 elections raised high expectations. However, despite his promises to ensure the editorial independence of EBC’s channels, the institution is still perceived to be under government control. Journalists and media experts in Brazil, interviewed for a report in May 2024, expressed concerns that the EBC has increased its coverage of government institutions despite President Lula’s assurances.
EBC operates under legislation dating back to 2008, which was amended in 2017 (Law 11.652). This law requires the company to ensure “pluralism” in its programming. Additionally, EBC has an internal Statute that sets out the main rules for its operation. However, the latest version of this statute, approved in 2020, does not establish or guarantee the broadcaster’s editorial independence. The company also has various other internal rules that guide its activities. Still, those focus on the functioning of the administrative bodies within EBC and do not ensure the outlet’s editorial independence.
EBC has a Code of Ethics that sets out the key ethical standards that journalists employed by EBC must adhere to in their work. EBC also has an Ombudsman whose primary role is to collect complaints and criticism from the audience and address these issues with EBC management.
The company has a Programming Committee that is responsible for promoting and encouraging citizen participation in EBC. The committee consists of 22 members, with six being nominated by the government, one by each chamber of parliament, one appointed by the EBC staff, and the remaining 15 nominated by civil society groups. The committee’s role is purely consultative, involving the evaluation of EBC content and the provision of suggestions to the company’s journalists and management.
July 2024