Media in Brazil: concentration and democratization of broadcasting
In order to understand the Brazilian media landscape and how it influences the lives of Brazilians, we began studying the topic as a scientific phenomenon in the 1990s. We have examined local, regional, and national media, as well as their strategies for regionalization and internationalization.
In the book Media Concentration in Brazil: Broadcasting and Telecommunications, we examine the landscape of media concentration in the country, analyzing the legal implications and the influence and/or interference in the lives of Brazilians, the strategies of media conglomerates, and the positions taken by the federal government, the private sector, and civil society.
Brazil is one of the leading countries in Latin America, 5th most populous country in the world; 11th largest economy in the world. Divided into five regions (North, South, Southeast, Northeast, and Central-West) with 5,568 municipalities, Federal District (Brasília) and State District of Fernando de Noronha. Media concentration in the areas of broadcasting and telecommunications.
In the Brazilian media landscape, it is evident that media concentration — a phenomenon in which media companies are controlled by a small number of corporations, both regionally and globally — is a reality that cannot be ignored.
In Brazil, the broadcasting sector (radio and television) is characterized by a model in which radio and TV stations are operated by private Brazilian groups led by politicians, families and churches. There is also EBC, a state-owned group tasked with providing public service broadcasting for the benefit of Brazilians.
About Media Conglomerates
Rede Globo is Brazil’s largest media conglomerate. It stands out as Brazil’s largest broadcasting group and one of the leading ones in Latin America, also operating in print and digital media, film production, and other areas.
Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT), a broadcasting conglomerate with popular programming, operates in the capital markets, cosmetics, and real estate development sectors.
Rede Record is a religious group with over-the-air TV stations, radio stations, streaming services, and print media. Its main shareholder is Edir Macedo, the bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
Rede Bandeirantes operates in over-the-air TV, pay TV, radio, newspapers, out-of-home advertising, and the internet—with both its own brands and those of its partners. It also operates streaming services.
RedeTV! went on the air in 1999. It focuses on popular television programming. It also operates in the streaming sector.
Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) is a state-owned media conglomerate focused on public communication. It operates TV stations, including university stations, as well as radio stations, news agencies, and streaming services.
Media conglomerates in Brazil, in addition to partnering with international groups, have joined forces with regional ones, as the latter have partnered with local broadcasters, thereby reaching cities and even small towns more quickly. “The strategy is to invest in understanding the local context and its target audience, identifying their needs and meeting them with content that interests them.” (Cabral, 2023, pp. 91 - 92).
The Problem of Broadcasting Concentration
The major problem with broadcasting concentration is that the large Brazilian media conglomerates reach nearly everyone living in the country. They only do not reach those who lack access to electricity and/or solar power. The two media outlets most widely consumed by the population—radio and free-to-air TV—base their program content on what they define in their editorial guidelines. They do not make it clear to viewers whether they are for or against certain ideologies. They speak about everything as if they were the sole arbiters of the truth.
It is important to understand what is happening in Brazil. Brazilian broadcasting is controlled by just six conglomerates, which results in legal provisions not being enforced. Another issue is the diversity and plurality of content broadcast in the country, a topic that has been widely debated in Brazil.
Media concentration in the hands of a few conglomerates in Brazil is considered illegal. According to the fifth paragraph of Article 220 of the 1988 Federal Constitution: “the media may not, directly or indirectly, be subject to a monopoly or oligopoly”.
Attention is drawn to the challenges that society must address in order to achieve media democratization:
- the reformulation of public policies,
- the adoption of new technologies by all Brazilians,
- the training and qualification of people,- the implementation of local and community media, which are fundamental to the development of communities throughout Brazil, and
- the “defense of communication, culture, and information as rights for all.”
In a country like Brazil, with diverse realities and needs, it is urgent to work toward the democratization of communication.
The concentration of broadcasting in Brazil occurs in a disorderly and illegal manner, disregarding legislation, governments, and Brazilian society.
Civil society views this as an attack on the democratization of communications.
Media conglomerates deny that there is concentration in the broadcasting sector, ignoring the fact that only a few groups operate across the entire national landscape. As for the federal government, even though oligopolies in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors are a reality, it fails to enforce compliance with the law.
We need to study and conduct scientific research on the Brazilian media and its effects on society. We need to ensure that society is informed and does not give up on the democratization of the Brazilian media.
Autora: Eula D.T. Cabral
Doutora e Mestre, com pós-doutorado, em Comunicação Social.
Dentre suas obras, destacam-se: o livro Concentração da mídia no Brasil: radiodifusão e telecomunicações (2023) - A obra pode ser adquirida a partir do email midianobrasil24@gmail.com - e o projeto de pesquisa Cultura, Comunicação e Informação na era digital (2025).
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