Granier, Marcel

Marcel Granier is a Venezuelan media entrepreneur and has been director of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) since 1969. Granier’s leadership helped make RCTV the most seen TV station in Venezuela. But because RCTV criticizes Hugo Chávez’s regime it faces retaliation from the government. For example Chávez accused Granier of supporting a coup against him in 2002. In 2007 the government also refused RCTV’s application of an extension slot into Venezuelan public TV and replaced it by a state-run TV station.

RCTV then had to use cable television and the Internet. Granier sees himself as a victim of the government and announced the replacement as illegal. Since then he calls worldwide attention for the human rights abuses, especially the freedom of expression in Venezuela.