Bolivia TV was established in 1969 through a decree adopted by the military government of General René Barrientos Ortuño. The transition from the military regime to civilian elections and democracy occurred between 1985 and 1999. Following the appointment of Evo Morales in 2006, the company Bolivia TV was created in April 2009 to spread the “official view of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.” Today the network operates two channels: 7, which airs varied content including newscasts, educational programs, concerts, and documentaries, and 7.2, which is focused on sports programming.
Media assets
Television: Bolivia TV
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Bolivia TV, a state-owned entity endowed with administrative, financial, legal, and technical autonomy, operates under the oversight of the Ministry of the Presidency, as outlined in the decree that authorized its creation. Its leadership is entrusted to a general manager, handpicked by the ministry.
Following the shift in political leadership in 2020, the newly instated authorities—anchored by the Socialist Party (MAS)—undertook sweeping changes, replacing the management teams across all state-run media organizations in Bolivia, Bolivia TV and its regional branches included. This move underscored the administration’s intent to tighten its grip on state media, signaling a clear desire to extend its influence over public broadcasting platforms.
Source of funding and budget
The decree that founded Bolivia TV allows for a hybrid funding model, encompassing both revenues from commercial advertising and various services. However, the lion’s share of the broadcaster’s income continues to flow from the state, predominantly through government advertising funds.
As outlined in its annual report, the station’s total budget for 2021 amounted to BOB 83.8m (approximately US$ 11m), with an overwhelming 92% of its funding underwritten by the government—54% derived from state-paid advertisements and 37% from direct state budget allocations. Fast-forward to 2023, Bolivia TV reported an overall income of BOB 78.3m (roughly US$ 11m), the bulk of which—BOB 59.5m—was secured through state advertisement contracts and fees associated with producing content for government entities, according to a financial disclosure by the broadcaster.
Bolivia TV ranks among the state-owned companies in Bolivia that generate the heaviest losses. According to a legislative study covering the period from 2019 to 2023, the broadcaster relied on a total injection of BOB 268m (US$ 38.5m) from the state budget, while its operating costs skyrocketed to an average of BOB 415m (US$ 59.6m), leaving a gaping financial shortfall.
In 2024, Bolivia TV operated with a budget of BOB 78.4m (equivalent to US$ 11m), according to figures provided by the company.
Editorial independence
Theoretically, Bolivia TV is intended to function as an independent entity. By design, according to the decree that instituted the broadcaster, it is technically autonomous. In practice, however, the station operates under the direct control of state authorities—previously overseen by the Information Ministry until 2020 and now falling under the purview of the Ministry of the Presidency. Unsurprisingly, its editorial style tends to dance to the tune of the sitting government.
Recent academic research has shed light on the undeniable pro-government skew evident at Bolivia TV. The station consistently allocates markedly more airtime to government officials than to representatives of the opposition, painting a clear picture of partiality.
The Bolivian Constitution, in Article 107, stipulates that content disseminated by the mass media must align with the principles of integrity and accountability: “Information and opinions disseminated through the mass media must adhere to the principles of truthfulness and responsibility.” Additionally, while Bolivia has a National Ethics Court composed of journalist appointees, an independent mechanism qualified to assess and verify Bolivia TV’s impartiality has eluded identification during this research round.
March 2025