SERTV offers a television program schedule that includes news, sports—particularly baseball, which remains the country’s most popular sport—cultural events, and religious ceremonies. Recent programming also highlights national heritage through documentaries and live coverage of public forums and educational summits. On the radio side, SERTV operates two main stations: Nacional FM, which focuses on news, public affairs, and educational content, and Crisol FM, which emphasizes culture, national identity, and traditional music.
Media assets
Television: SERTV
Radio: Crisol, Nacional FM
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
SERTV was established by Law No. 58 of 2005 as a public legal entity with its own legal personality.
Its governance structure places it under substantial government influence. The Advisory Board (Consejo Directivo) is the highest authority and is chaired by the Minister of Education. Additional members include the Minister of Government and Justice (represented via the National Directorate for Social Communication Media), the Rector of the University of Panama, two members of the National Assembly, and representatives from the National Council of Education and the Office of the Comptroller General.
Although two seats are reserved for civil society representatives, these members are also proposed by the government, limiting the board’s independence. The organization’s day-to-day operations are managed by a three-person board, including a general director and two deputy directors responsible for television and radio, respectively.
In June 2024, President-elect José Raúl Mulino nominated journalist Dustin Guerra as the new General Director of SERTV. Guerra brings over 27 years of experience in print, radio, and television journalism. Alongside Guerra, Sara Moreno was nominated as Deputy General Director. Moreno has a background in Marketing and Advertising from the Universidad del Istmo.
Source of funding and budget
SERTV is funded primarily through state budget allocations, though it is legally allowed to accept donations and provide services on a fee basis. In 2020, the broadcaster received PAB 19.4 million (US$ 19.4m). This figure remained mostly unchanged in 2021. However, the 2023 national budget reduced SERTV’s funding to PAB 13.43 million, reflecting a broader tightening of public expenditure.
In early 2024, SERTV announced a new partnership with the National Lottery of Panama, which included the airing of televised draws and a co-produced educational mini-series funded partly by lottery revenue. This marks a modest diversification of its funding base, though government allocations still dominate.
As of 2024, SERTV operated with an annual budget of PAB 23 million (approximately US$ 23 million). This figure was confirmed by SERTV’s director, Dustin Guerra, in his 2024 report to the National Assembly, where he also noted that the organization employs 320 staff members.
Editorial independence
While Law No. 58 frames SERTV as a pluralistic and impartial broadcaster, its editorial content often reflects the views and priorities of the ruling administration. The broadcaster’s legal mandate—to disseminate “the cultural and educational policies of the Panamanian State”—links it closely to the Ministry of Education and limits its autonomy in news selection and editorial tone.
A 2024 informal content analysis conducted for this report by the Media and Journalism Research Center found that SERTV continues to feature favorable coverage of government officials, with programs like A Profundidad, hosted by journalist Carlos Rivera, routinely spotlighting government projects, especially in education, infrastructure, and youth policy. The broadcaster’s website and social media channels similarly promote official press releases and ministerial announcements with limited critical perspective.
SERTV does follow a code of ethics and maintains internal performance guidelines for its staff. However, the research conducted for this project found no legally binding statutes or external oversight mechanisms guaranteeing the organization’s editorial independence. The absence of a firewall between political power and newsroom decisions continues to raise concerns among press freedom advocates.
May 2025