Yuri Pimentel has finally been removed from the presidency of State VTV channel and TV presenter, Tania Diaz appointed in his place. Pimentel has been placed in the Science, Technology & Basic Industries Ministry to head the vice ministry of policy and plans formulation.
Journalist Diaz has been presenting the daily afternoon talk show "Dando y Dando."
President Chavez thanked Pimentel for his excellent work and recognized advances made during his time as VTV chief.
However, some observers suggest that growing criticism of government media ineffectiveness and shortfalls is responsible for the change, which comes shortly after appointing Eva Golinger as editor of the new Correo del Orinoco in English to present US and European circles with a government perspective of news.
Communications & Information (MinCi) Minister Eekhout's has come under scrutiny for her lackluster performance in running Avila TV and YVKE Mundial government radio station, as well as her closed-circuit view of world and local events.
It is not clear yet whether the change at the top is due to a rectification process or an indication of a general re-shuffle throughout ministries.
VTV was supposed to become a 24-hour news station ... which it has failed to do ... and instead has been filled with drab political talk shows, apart from Tania Diaz' program, Mario Silva's La Hojilla program at night and of course, Walter Martinez' Dossier.
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It would appear that Pimentel, who was (or is) Telesur vice president in Venezuela, was unable to turn steer VTV into a national 24-hour service competing with the opposition Globovision.
As in the case of recently nationalized companies and banks, those placed in charge of government media programs do not seem have the will to challenge and compete with the private sector and are content with waiting for orders from the President.
The only decent media spokesperson that the government has had in the last ten years is Andres Izarra, currently president of Telesur International.
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