A bill (PL 053/2003) presented to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Congress, calls for TV stations and movie theaters to reserve 45% of their programming time for feature films and documentaries produced in South and Central America in Spanish or Portuguese. Tabled by Dep. Carlito Merss (PT, Santa Catarina), the bill also states that at least half the quota should comprise Brazilian productions and at least 30% productions from other Mercosur countries (Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). No reference is made to pay-TV channels or networks. Broadcasters and exhibitors would have several years to comply.
The bill, submitted in February, arrived Wednesday, March 12, on the desk of the Secretariat for Coordination of Standing Committees. From there it will be distributed to several committees of the lower house, which will appoint rapporteurs and call for amendments. A similar bill was tabled in 1992 by José Fortunati (PT, Rio Grande do Sul), no longer a member of Congress.
Policy
