Costa Rica Broadcast Fee Bill Advances Despite Press Freedom Warnings
COSTA RICA · PRESS FREEDOM
Key Facts
- —What happened: Costa Rica’s Assembly approved Bill 24,461 in a renewed first debate on Thursday, by 48 votes to three.
- —What it does: The bill replaces fixed nominal spectrum fees with a progressive charge of up to 7.73 percent of television revenue.
- —The warning: The IAPA and CPJ say the financial burden could force over-the-air radio and television outlets off the air.
- —The catch: The current Radio Law charges stations between 100 and 3,000 colones (US$0.22 to US$6.60) a year.
- —Who it hits: Large broadcasters such as Teletica pay most, while outlets under 130 base salaries (US$134,600) stay exempt.
- —What comes next: The bill still needs a second debate, the president’s signature and publication in La Gaceta.
Costa Rica’s Congress has approved a new spectrum charge on broadcasters, hours after two press freedom watchdogs called it a threat. The Costa Rica broadcast fee now moves to a decisive second debate.
What the Assembly approved on Thursday
Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly approved Bill 24,461 on Thursday 27 August. The vote was 48 in favour and three against.
The bill overhauls the Radio and Television Law, starting with how the state charges for spectrum. It replaces fixed nominal fees set decades ago with a progressive revenue-based charge.
This was the second time the bill cleared a first debate. The Assembly first approved it on 27 July, then rolled that vote back for changes.
Ten deputies had filed a constitutional review request against the July version. The Constitutional Chamber archived it after some withdrew their signatures.
The substitute text passed on 10 August, forcing a fresh first debate. Thursday’s vote confirms that revised version.
The three dissenting votes came from deputies Claudia Dobles, Abril Gordienko and Salvador Padilla. Six more deputies were absent.
How the Costa Rica broadcast fee would work
The Costa Rica broadcast fee is calculated on annual gross revenue linked to the conceded spectrum. It applies in bands, so the top rate never hits all of a company’s income.
Television concessions pay 4.39 percent in the first band and 6.17 percent in the second. Above roughly 610 million colones (US$1.34 million) of revenue, the rate reaches 7.73 percent.
Radio stations pay far less, at 1.51, 2.52 and 3.13 percent in the same bands. The bands are measured in civil-service reference salaries of 470,401 colones (US$1,035) a month.
Outlets earning under 130 reference salaries, about 61 million colones (US$134,600) a year, pay nothing. The July draft had set that exemption at 100 salaries.
Religious and non-profit stations are exempt, along with university and Education Ministry broadcasters. Half the money raised would fund audiovisual production, and half would fund spectrum management.
Why press freedom groups are alarmed
The Inter American Press Association and the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a joint warning on 26 August. Both organisations are based in the United States and track media freedom across the hemisphere.
They argue a disproportionate financial burden could force stations off the air. That, they say, would damage media pluralism and the public’s right to information.
IAPA president Pierre Manigault said a democracy needs more voices, not conditions that silence them. CPJ’s Americas director, Jose Zamora, said spectrum regulation must not become a tool to silence the press.
The groups cited the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and its Advisory Opinion OC-5/85. That ruling treats expression and dissemination as indivisible, so economic limits on broadcasting also restrict free expression.
They also pointed to a wider deterioration in Costa Rica. Their statement cites stigmatising rhetoric against journalists and an adverse climate for public debate.
The IAPA represents more than 1,300 publications across the Americas. The CPJ is an independent non-profit that defends journalists worldwide.
The government’s case, and Teletica’s answer
The government defends the reform as a fair update of an obsolete law. The current Radio Law still charges stations between 100 and 3,000 colones (US$0.22 to US$6.60) a year.
Officials argue the progressive design shields small broadcasters. Only the largest concessionaires would ever reach the top rates.
Teletica, the country’s leading private broadcaster, backs an update but disputes the percentages. It says the technical basis for the rates has not been shown, and its over-the-air operations could become unviable.
The local press institute IPLEX took a middle line this week. It asked lawmakers to publish the studies behind the rates before any final approval.
The substitute text added safeguards on state rescue of concessions. It says such a step cannot be used to affect editorial independence or pluralism.
The reform also updates the sanctions regime of the Radio Law. Very serious breaches can now cost a concession its licence.
What this means for readers in Costa Rica
Over-the-air radio and television remain free in Costa Rica. They matter most for lower-income households, rural communities and older adults.
Free signals also carry emergency information during earthquakes, floods and volcanic events. Any loss of outlets would be felt first outside the capital.
For expats, the dispute is a window into Costa Rica’s changing media politics. The country still ranks well on press freedom, but the direction of travel has worried watchdogs.
The country hosts a large foreign resident community, many of them retirees. They rely on local broadcasters for weather, emergencies and Spanish-language news.
In February the Assembly repealed prison sentences for libel and slander, which the IAPA welcomed. This month’s fight over the Costa Rica broadcast fee shows the truce did not last.
What to watch from here
The bill now needs a second debate in the Assembly. No date for that vote had been announced by Friday.
If it passes, the president must sign it and La Gaceta must publish it. Only then would the Costa Rica broadcast fee schedule take effect.
A constitutional challenge remains possible. Deputies tried once already, and broadcasters could try again after final approval.
The numbers to watch are the band thresholds and the separate accounting rule. Broadcasters must split spectrum revenue from other income, which smaller stations may find costly.
Whatever happens next, the Costa Rica broadcast fee has already changed the debate. Spectrum policy is now a press freedom issue in one of Latin America’s oldest democracies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Costa Rica’s Bill 24,461?
It is a reform of the Radio and Television Law that replaces fixed nominal spectrum fees with a progressive charge on broadcaster revenue. Television rates reach 7.73 percent and radio rates 3.13 percent in the top band.
Why do the IAPA and CPJ say the bill threatens radio and television?
They warn that a disproportionate financial burden could force over-the-air outlets off the air and weaken media pluralism. They say any spectrum fee must follow objective, technical and proportionate criteria.
Has the Costa Rica broadcast fee become law?
Not yet. The Assembly approved the bill in a renewed first debate on 27 August 2026, but it still needs a second debate, the president’s signature and publication in the official gazette La Gaceta.
Sources: Inter American Press Association and Committee to Protect Journalists joint statement, 26 August 2026; Delfino.cr, 28 August 2026; Teletica. Exchange rate: 454.44 Costa Rican colones per US dollar, 28 August 2026.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error
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