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Television and radio broadcasting
in Lendosa requires an official permit from the government, for each channel
being broadcast. These permits are not difficult to obtain, however, and
many local and foreign broadcasters are active in the Lendosan market.
Print media, by contrast, does not need a permit.
Television
While there are several
notable free-to-air television stations, most major broadcasting companies
now transmit via cable or satellite. The largest broadcaster is the Lendosan
Broadcasting Corporation (LBC), a state-owned company. The largest private
company, and LBC's main rival, is Questa Television.
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Newspapers and Magazines
Lendosa also has a large
number of newspapers, magazines, and journals published. The majority of
these are produced by private groups, and those few that are not are either
specialist journals or controlled by governmental groups below the Confederate
level. The style and quality of these publications range considerably.
The government takes a strong stance against the "tabloid"-type reporting
found in many nations now, however, and strong laws exist to protect privacy.
The most famous newspaper in Lendosa is the Lendian Times, based in Gloria
Libertatis. Also prominent are the Rivan Herald and the Tiris Observer,
which are particularly known for their liberal and traditionalist editorial
policies, respectively. These three are the only newspapers which have
a significant circulation outside their home region - other newspapers
cater simply to local needs.
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There are also several major
newsmagazines publishing in the Lendosan Confederation. These have a large
circulation, considerably more so than in many other countries. The three
major magazines are New Republic, Aurismo ("affairs of people of means",
roughly translated), and Heritage. New Republic focuses solely on politics,
and tends to be progressive in its outlook. Aurismo focuses on politics
and business, and generally supports laissez-faire and liberal policies.
Heritage focuses on politics and society, and takes a broadly traditionalist
line. The rivalry between the three publications is strong, and some commentators
almost go so far as to say that a person's political views can be determined
better by which magazine they prefer than which political party they vote
for.
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Censorship
There is not a great deal
of censorship in Lendosa, although it does exist. No media is censored
for expressions of political or religious views, although the government
will object to the publication of material which is factually wrong, and
to material which breaches a Lendosan law or advocates that others do so.
It is also a requirement that any media outlet expresses an opinion (rather
than merely presenting unbiased facts) must make plain its allegiance -
it is illegal to present material as being impartial and balanced when
it is in fact published in order to support a particular viewpoint. Bias
in the media is strongly resisted by the Lendosan government.
