The radio and television stations of the National University of Colombia are managed by Unidad de Medios de Comunicación (Unimedios), an academic institution. UN Radio was established in 1991 and can be accessed in the capital city of Bogotá and in Medellín. UN Televisión is an online-only television broadcaster. Its programming includes national and international news, as well as debates and analytical reports conducted by academics.
Media assets
Television: UN Televisión
Radio: UN Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded (ISF)
Ownership and governance
The National University of Colombia, which operates UN Radio and UN Televisión, is autonomous from the government. Article 69 of the Colombian constitution guarantees university autonomy, stating that “universities may establish their own rules and be governed by their own statutes, in accordance with the law.”
Source of funding and budget
The funding for UN Radio and UN Television comes from the public university operating the broadcasters and various sponsoring organizations, such as the Ministry of Culture. The broadcasters are prohibited from displaying advertisements.
Editorial independence
The government does not intervene in university broadcasters’ content because of the autonomy that guarantees their editorial independence. A local expert’s ad hoc content analysis for this report shows that university broadcasters air programs that are critical of the government.
The station has a style manual and a code of ethics that guide its work and guarantee audiences’ right to information.
No mechanism validating the editorial independence of UN Radio and UN Televisión was identified during the research for this report.
August 2024