BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Argentina’s president sent  a media reform bill to Congress yesterday, saying it would  strengthen democracy by reducing the control of a handful of  companies that dominate broadcasting.

Many people in the industry agree with the need to overhaul  broadcasting regulations drawn up during the 1976-1983 military  dictatorship, to reflect huge technological changes, but the  government proposal has sparked controversy.

President Cristina Fernandez, who has fallen out with the  country’s biggest media group Grupo Clarin and often criticizes  news media, said the new broadcast law would challenge private  companies’ domination of the airwaves.

“Freedom of expression can’t become freedom to extort (and)  press freedom can’t be confused with freedom for press owners,”  she said in a speech at the presidential palace.

“This bill is for every one of us who wants to live in a  more democratic and plural Argentina,” she added.
The reform bill, which Fernandez launched in March, would  allocate a third of broadcast frequencies to private companies,  a third to state broadcasters and the rest to nonprofit  organizations such as churches and universities. It would also limit the number of licenses any one company  can hold and aim to guarantee quotas for Argentine-made music,  films and programs.

Leftist groups have welcomed the government proposal, but  critics say the reform is ill-timed and politically motivated.
“(This bill) was only agreed between people with the same  point of view,” said Julio Barbaro, a former head of state  broadcast regulator Comfer.

“They’re looking for war with this bill … I hope Congress  doesn’t vote on it,” he told reporters.
Fernandez lost control of Congress in a June mid-term vote,  but the newly elected lawmakers do not take their seats until  December. It will likely be harder for the government to pass  controversial measures when the new legislature is in place.

Much of the suspicion over the government’s motives stems  from its spat with Grupo Clarin, one of Latin America’s largest  media conglomerates and the company that analysts say stands to  lose most from the proposed reform.