South America

Access and Audiences

According to the United Nations, the population of South America in 2007 was over 373 million, with Brazil (186.8 million), Colombia (44.9 million), and Argentina (38.7 million) forming the most populated countries. More than three-fourths of the continent's populations live in urban areas, with that figure even higher in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Ecuador have somewhat larger rural populations, comparatively. Geographical location, language, literacy, and income, among other variables, have implications for audience access to media. Poorer and rural populations tend to depend more on broadcasting for news and entertainment, and radio and television have provided both in areas plagued by higher rates of poverty and illiteracy. Communications researcher Joseph Straubhaar describes other recent trends in programming: initially dependent on imported programming from developed countries, more South American prime-time broadcast material is now locally or regionally produced; and telenove-las—dramatic soap operas now exported world-wide—and reality show programming are especially popular.

Since the 1990s, pay television has also grown considerably, especially among the urban middle-and upper-middle classes. High penetration of pay television is seen in Argentina, which has higher rates of cable subscribers than the rest of South America. Writer John Sinclair attributes the success of cable television in Argentina in part to the government-mandated lack of networks in the country initially put in place in order to tighten controls over content. Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile also historically boasted significant audiences for print media, as newspapers played important roles in those countries. But over-the-air broadcasting remained the medium of choice for many throughout South America, as poorer sectors of the population tended to be restricted from print or cable offerings by the cost, literacy rates, limited circulation, infrastructure, or language. Most mainstream print or television products in South America exist in Spanish, with the notable exceptions of Portuguese-language media in Brazil, English in Guyana, Dutch in Surinam, and French in French Guiana, among others. Pay television offerings have English-language channels, as well. However, sizeable indigenous populations speak other languages or live in remote areas and therefore can be more limited in their media options.

Access to Internet technologies also remains, for the most part, a luxury reserved for urban middle-and upper-classes, as Straubhaar discusses. Poor infrastructure to rural areas and costs are associated with fewer home Internet connections. However, since the late 1990s, Internet use has increased in Latin American nations, notably Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. For those who can afford to use them, Internet cafes are increasingly common across much of South America, particularly in urban areas. However, a 2008 report issued by the World Economic Forum observed that various Latin American nations—among them, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela—have fallen in rankings measuring access and investment in Internet technologies and infrastructure, in comparison to efforts in other countries.

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