Venezuelan private broadcaster Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), which suspended its service on May 28 after the government's refusal to renew its license, launched on cable network on Monday.The channel began its pay-per-view TV programming at 6:00 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT) with a series of news and talk show programs.
RCTV said that leaving terrestrial programming and switching to pay-per-view had cost 80 percent of its earnings. Marcel Granier, director of the channel's owner IBC, said that the government's decision to cancel the channel's license was unconstitutional.
The government refused to renew RCTV's license, which expired at midnight on May 27, accusing the channel of being involved in an April 2002 coup attempt against President Hugo Chavez.
RCTV had been Venezuela's longest-running terrestrial channel. Its license had lasted for 20 years before the May expiration.
The government took over RCTV's frequency to broadcast a new channel, Tves on May 28 and the new channel uses part of RCTV's equipment and offices.
(Source: Xinhua/Zacharias Liangas/Cumbre DX)
The government refused to renew RCTV's license, which expired at midnight on May 27, accusing the channel of being involved in an April 2002 coup attempt against President Hugo Chavez.
RCTV had been Venezuela's longest-running terrestrial channel. Its license had lasted for 20 years before the May expiration.
The government took over RCTV's frequency to broadcast a new channel, Tves on May 28 and the new channel uses part of RCTV's equipment and offices.
(Source: Xinhua/Zacharias Liangas/Cumbre DX)