TV USAC is a university television station with some two decades of history. Its frequency was assigned by the government in 1990 to the University San Carlos de Guatemala, an autonomous higher education entity in Guatemala. The station started broadcasting only 12 years later, in 2002. Today, it covers the capital city and a few large towns. It primarily airs cultural and educational programs. It has a staff of only 19 people. The University of San Carlos de Guatemala has also been running Radio Universidad (92.1 FM Universidad) since 1992. The radio channel airs cultural programs, music, and general informational programs.
Media assets
Television: TV USAC
Radio: Radio Universidad
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded (ISF)
Ownership and governance
The University de San Carlos de Guatemala runs directly its broadcast channels. TV USAC, for example, is managed by a “channel boss” who coordinates the station’s work. It is part of the university’s external relations department.
Source of funding and budget
According to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in May 2024, the University San Carlos de Guatemala channels depend entirely on government funds. Although the state provides funding annually, the financial support is allocated through the university budget; hence the broadcasters are insulated from government control.
Editorial independence
The content on the broadcasters run by the University of San Carlos de Guatemala is not controlled by the government; all editorial-related decisions are made by the university. Some of the station’s programs have received important awards in the past.
The channels of the University San Carlos de Guatemala are independent of the government as the Guatemalan Constitution (article 82) states that the San Carlos University is an autonomous institution.
No independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of the channels run by the University San Carlos de Guatemala has been identified.
July 2024