Q COSTARICA—After accepting a “recurso amparo” (writ of amparo) for review, the Constitutional Court provisionally suspended the auction of radio and television frequencies that has generated so much controversy.
The provisional measure was announced on Wednesday, minutes before President Rodrigo Chaves was scheduled to address the issue, as he had previously announced.
“Until the Court issues a ruling on this injunction or decides otherwise, the auction remains suspended. This measure was taken due to the serious risk of a significant decrease in broadcasting services (both television and radio) and to prevent potential severe damage, since, given the number of bids received by SUTEL (20 for FM radio broadcasting, 1 for AM radio broadcasting, and 4 for television broadcasting), there could be a reduction of at least two-thirds of the current amount,” said the Constitutional Court or Sala IV as it is popuraly known.
Low Participation
The bidding period for the frequency auction closed last Friday with only 25 proposals, according to the regulatory authority, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SUTEL).
To date, only 17 national FM frequencies, 3 regional FM frequencies, and 1 national AM frequency have been granted; in addition to 4 national television channels (including the frequencies for Canal 7, Repretel, and Extra TV).
In the case of FM radio, several religious organizations did participate, including Radio Maria, the International Association Passion for Souls, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Telecommunications System Association.
SUTEL estimates preliminary revenue exceeding S$9.8 million (approximately 4.9 billion colones) prior to the bidding stage. The amounts offered by each participant will remain confidential until the next phase, as stipulated in the tender documents.
Despite the ongoing process, more than 60 radio stations decided not to participate in the auction, claiming that the established prices are too high.
Among the groups that remained on the sidelines are Radio Columbia, Cadena Radial Costarricense (CRC), Grupo Musical, Radio Sinfonola, and all evangelical stations.
The frequencies assigned to the Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión (Sinart)—National Radio and Television System—and public universities will not be affected by this process.
On Wednesday, the SUTEL announced that it will comply with the Constitutional Court’s order issued by Justice Paul Rueda
“Sutel will be fully compliant with the legal framework and the rulings issued by the Constitutional Chamber,” the agency stated.
Catholic Church rejects preferential treatment from Rodrigo Chaves
For its part, the Catholic Church of Costa Rica, represented by the Episcopal Conference, rejected on Wednesday a preferential treatment offered by President Rodrigo Chaves to receive a free radio and television frequency.
“In keeping with our initial statement on this issue, and out of respect for the plurality of voices and sectors that make up our society, the Church believes it is unwise to enter into a system of special privileges that jeopardize equitable access to the radio spectrum. A mechanism of privileged concessions for religious media outlets could open the door to arbitrary decisions and unequal management of public resources,” the statement reads.
The Catholic Church firmly believes that social dialogue must be based on justice and equal conditions, not on exceptions that fragment the media landscape.
“Public communication—radio, television, or print media—is the heritage of all citizens, not just those who profess a faith or doctrine. Therefore, the Church will remain prudent: it will continue promoting its values through the channels it already owns and through traditional means of evangelization, without claiming special privileges to access frequencies,” the statement adds.
Radio and television frequencies in Costa Rica
Costa Rica utilizes standard international frequency bands for radio and television broadcasting, regulated by the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SUTEL).
Television Frequencies
Costa Rica has fully transitioned to digital television (ISDB-Tb standard), which allows multiple programs to be broadcast on a single frequency channel. The frequencies are in the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) ranges.
- VHF Band: Channels 2 through 13 (frequencies between approximately 54 MHz and 216 MHz).
- UHF Band: Channels 14 through 69 (frequencies between approximately 470 MHz and 806 MHz, though a recent auction covered segments up to 608 MHz).
Key national free-to-air channels include:
- Teletica: Channels 7, 18, 43, 53.
- Repretel: Channels 4, 6, 11, 26, 34, 39, 46.
- SINART (National Radio and Television System): Channels 8, 10, 13, 16.
- Multivisión/RPC: Channels 23, 32, 43, 63.
Radio Frequencies
Radio broadcasting operates across the standard AM and FM bands.
FM Band: Frequencies from 88 MHz to 108 MHz. This is where most commercial and public stations operate.
- Radio Monumental: 93.5 FM, 95.1 FM, 98.0 FM.
- Columbia: 98.7 FM.
- Radio 2 (English language): 99.5 FM.
- Radio U (University of Costa Rica): 101.9 FM.
- Beatz 106: 105.9 FM.
AM Band: Frequencies from 525 kHz to 1705 kHz:
- Radio Monumental: 670 AM, 890 AM, 980 AM.
- Radio Faro del Caribe: 1080 AM, 9645 kHz (shortwave).
- Radio UCR: 870 AM.