Event Summary
The new radio and television license tender, although currently suspended by the Constitutional Chamber, threatens to harm media diversity. On 26 June 2024, the Government instructed the Telecommunications Superintendent (SUTEL) to initiate a tender process to update concession prices and modernise radio spectrum management, given that current radio and television concessions remain at very low prices and were set decades ago. The process was officially launched on 5 November 2025, with the ministry responsible for telecommunications (MICITT) highlighting it as a step towards strengthening transparency and democratisation of the spectrum.
However, the design of the tender generated considerable controversy. SUTEL defined the base prices by benchmarking them against tenders in other countries including the United States, which resulted in unusually high entry prices for the Costa Rican market. Several experts pointed out that insufficient studies had been conducted on the economic capacity of local operators.
When the deadline for submitting bids closed on 21 November 2025, there were only bids from four television channels and 21 radio frequencies, leaving most regional, cultural and community frequencies unclaimed. This meant the possible disappearance of numerous local media outlets unable to bear the high costs.
Organisations such as IPLEX denounced the process as a threat to freedom of expression, arguing that the high prices and technical requirements exclusively favoured large conglomerates, creating risks of media concentration and reducing plurality of information. The National Radio Chamber (CANARA) and the University of Costa Rica also requested that the process be suspended, warning of the impact on religious, cultural, SMEs and community media.
On 26 November 2025, the Constitutional Chamber ordered the precautionary suspension of the auction, considering that there was a risk of ‘severe damage’ to the broadcasting ecosystem, given the low participation and the potential impact on access to information and freedom of expression.