Deputies Study Official Ad Regulation: 'They Advertise Things in the Capital That Are for the Interior'

Lawmakers in Uruguay's Chamber of Representatives are reviewing a bill aimed at regulating official advertising, seeking to establish clearer, more objective criteria for its distribution. The initiative, presented by legislators from the Frente Amplio party, seeks to address concerns that advertising is disproportionately concentrated in the capital, neglecting media outlets in other regions.

A key provision of the proposed legislation requires that at least 30% of national official advertising be allocated to media, programs, or productions located in the interior of the country. This aims to ensure that information reaches a wider audience beyond Montevideo. The bill also emphasizes the need for transparent and professional assignment of advertising resources, while simultaneously safeguarding freedom of expression and eliminating possibilities for censorship.

This effort builds upon a similar initiative that passed the Chamber in 2018 but did not advance in the Senate. The current proposal is being analyzed in committee, with discussions including potential participants like the Ministry of Industry. Legislators like Javier Umpiérrez and Pablo Inthamoussu are championing the bill, highlighting its "genesis" in a 2015 study by the Center for Archives and Access to Public Information (Cainfo). The goal is to create a more equitable and effective system for official communication across the nation.