New President for Mexico Telecoms Regulator

Mexico's President Vicente Fox has named Héctor Osuna as the new president of telecoms regulator Cofetel, local press reported.

The decision has been criticized from certain quarters, but Osuna has experience in the sector as a former member of the parliamentary telecommunications commission Conparte and chairman of the upper house's transport and communications committee.

He is known to support the controversial "Televisa Law," a series of modifications to Mexico's radio and television laws that are popularly considered to be overly beneficial to dominant TV companies, such as Televisa.

Osuna's immediate priority is to draft new bylaws for Cofetel by July 10, a requirement specified in the new radio and television law.

Ernesto Gil, Eduardo Ruiz and Gerardo González have been approved as Cofetel board members, meaning the board is now complete after 83 days without one.

Four key board members resigned in April because of the Televisa Law, as well as forthcoming laws that alter the balance of power between Cofetel and the transport and communications ministry SCT. Since then Cofetel has been unable to make major decisions, and some companies have stalled their investment plans.

There is one surviving board member from the pre-April 2006 board, José Luis Peralta.

BNAmericas.com"

Posted to the site on 6th July 2006