The first SRCI station was La Voz de la Montaña (The Voice of the Mountain), which started broadcasting in March 1979 in Tlapa de Comonfort, a municipality located in the state of Guerrero in southwestern Mexico. Currently, SRCI operates 22 indigenous radio stations (some AM and FM) across 16 states of Mexico. These stations broadcast in 35 languages and dialects spoken by the indigenous people in the covered territories.
Media assets
Radio: La Voz de las Huastecas, La Voz de la Costa Chica, La Voz de los Cuatro Pueblos, La Voz de los Vientos, La Voz de la Sierra Norte, La Voz de la Chinantla, La Voz de los Tres Rios, La Voz de la Sierra Juarez, La Voz de los Mayas, La Voz de los P’urhepechas, La Voz de la Mixteca, La Voz del Valle, La Voz de la Sierra Tarahumara, Las Tres Voces de Durango, La Voz de la Frontera Sur, La Voz del Corazón de la Selva, La Voz de la Sierra de Zongolica, La Voz de la Montaña, La Voz del Pueblo Hñähñú, La Voz de los Chontales, La Voz del Gran Pueblo, La Voz de la Sierra Oriente
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
The SRCI broadcasters are under the authority of the Radio Department of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, which is in turn part of the government. According to Article 2 of the Mexican Constitution, the State is obligated to create conditions for indigenous peoples and communities to own, operate, and manage media outlets as outlined by relevant laws. These frequencies are managed by the government.
Source of funding and budget
The SRCI stations rely on government funds from the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples. Despite having significant audiences in the communities where they broadcast, they operate on a very limited budget. According to the most recent figures, SRCI receives an annual state allocation worth MXN 13m (US$ 614,000). On average, each broadcaster spends approximately MXN 590,000 (US$ 27,000) per year out of that budget.
Editorial independence
The close proximity of indigenous communities to the SRCI’s broadcasters typically prevents their editorial content from turning into propaganda. If the public is offended by the content aired by these broadcasters, they often go to the radio stations in person to protest. Since these broadcasters are located in small communities and have permanent contact with the population, people feel comfortable expressing their opinions directly to them.
As part of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, SRCI relies on the federal government but has some internal regulations, including a code of conduct and various provisions regarding its rules of operation. However, these do not qualify as statutes that establish the stations’ independence.
SRCI updated its code of ethics in March 2018 and appointed an Ombudsman, as mandated by the 2014 telecommunications and broadcasting law.
July 2024