As reported by the Colombian Information Technology and Communications Ministry (MinTIC), due to the national quarantine because of the Covid-19 pandemic (Coronavirus) the country’s Government published the N° 516 decree, effective since April 4th, which establishes new measures to provide FTA TV on the whole country, focused on the development of national productions during the current pandemic.

The new decree establishes that only during the pandemic, new minimum percentages of Colombian production programming will be established, which, according to the MinTIC, must be met quarterly by FTA TV channels, according to the following timetable: from 7:00 PM. to 10:30 PM (called “triple A” time), the national programming will be 20%. From 10:30 PM. to midnight, the national programming will be 20%. From 00:00 AM to 10:00 AM,  programming will remain 100% free. Between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM, national production schedule will be 20%. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the minimum national production percentage will be 20% in ‘triple A’ time.

Additionally, in regional channels and local stations, national production programming will be modified to 20% of the total programming. This way, the decree modifies article 33 of Law N° 182, published in 1995 and modified by article 4 of Law N° 680  (2001), which establishes the following measures: from 7:00 PM  to 10:30 PM (“triple A”), 70% of the total programming will be national. Between 10:30 PM and midnight, 50% of the programming will be of national. From midnight to 10:00 AM, 100% of the programming will be free. And, between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM, 50% will be national production programming. The Law also establishes that on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the percentage of national production is at least 50% in ‘triple A’ hours. In addition, according to Law N°. 680, on regional channels and local stations, the broadcast of national production programming must be 50% of the total programming.