May 27, 2007 3:59 pm US/Eastern
Chavez Closes Opposition TV Station
CARACAS, Venezuela (CBS) ―
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Hugo Chavez said Saturday he was democratizing the airwaves by turning RCTV's signal over to a public service channel. (File)
Pedro Rey/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuela's oldest private television station went off the air at midnight Sunday as thousands banged on pots and pans in protest against President Hugo Chavez's decision not to renew the license of the opposition-aligned channel.
Fireworks exploded across Caracas as crowds of Chavez's supporters celebrated the expiration of Radio Caracas Television's license and the birth of a new public service station that was created to replace it.
Radio Caracas Television was the sole opposition-aligned TV station before it was forced off the air early Monday.
"We are living an injustice," said Eyla Adrian, a 35-year-old presenter, her eyes welling with tears. "I wish that tonight would never come."
Chavez said Saturday he was democratizing the airwaves by turning RCTV's signal over to a public service channel.
"That television station became a threat to the country so I decided not to renew the licence because it's my responsibility," Chavez said.
RCTV's top executive, Marcel Granier, said on a morning talk show that Chavez's action "marks a turn toward totalitarianism."
Meantime, a new, state-run station, Venezuelan Social Television, will begin broadcasting Monday, using the same frequency occupied by Radio Caracas Television, the nation's oldest private station.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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