MCom opens digital TV stations in ten municipalities, the milestone is unprecedented in a federation unit
Amazonas is the 1st State in Brazil to universalize the free Public TV signal, in all 62 municipalities. In this way, the approximately 4.3 million inhabitants can have access to public channels for free and have better quality digital images.
The reach was expanded this Wednesday afternoon (April 29, 2026), when the Mcom (Ministry of Communications), in Manaus, the Digital TV stations in 10 municipalities in Amazonas. The action is part of the program coordinated by MCom and was implemented in partnership with Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency). It received investments of R$200 million.
The available channels are from the National Public Communication Network (RNCP), which includes content from 3 broadcasters from Empresa Brasil de Comunicação – TV Brasil, Canal Gov, and Canal Educação – from TV Encontro das Águas and Canal Saúde. The population will also have access to multiprogramming from the network of legislative broadcasters – TV Câmara, TV Senado and TV Assembleia.
In Manaus, the Minister of Communications, Frederico de Siqueira Filho, commented that the initiative is part of a broad effort by federal management to decentralize investments and ensure that public policies reach the most remote regions of the country.
In addition to Digital TV, the portfolio holder linked the expansion of infrastructure to digital inclusion and the fight against misinformation, through the strength of public communication.
“We are not only concerned with dissemination, but with bringing internet and connectivity to the nooks and crannies of Brazil so that we can strengthen digital inclusion, strengthen true journalism, correct information and the fight against fake news” he stated.
Democratization of information
During the ceremony, the general director of EBC, David Butter, classified the universalization of the public TV signal throughout Amazonas as a “concrete framework” for communication in the country and which goes beyond the technical achievement, being a political, social and federative achievement.
“It is a demonstration that, when there is institutional coordination and commitment to the population, it is possible to overcome distances and overcome limitations and make public communication reach where it needs to go”stated the general director.
For Butter, the expansion of the National Public Communication Network through the Brasil Digital program is a fundamental step towards guaranteeing fundamental rights. “Expanding signal also means expanding rights, guaranteeing access to quality information and strengthening citizenship, education, culture, public transparency and national integration.”
The EBC director highlighted that the initiative allows millions of citizens to have free access to educational, cultural and journalistic content in multiprogramming, which values Brazilian diversity, in addition to legislative content.
The general director celebrated the internalization process, noting that public communication fulfills the role of reaching locations that are often neglected by commercial and market logic.
“It’s about including those who were previously unreached, giving visibility to territories, cultures and accents, challenges and solutions that were often left out of the center of the national communication agenda”, recalled. The authority also invited the population of Amazonas to participate in public communication, which is the result of everyone’s engagement, through criticism, suggestions and complaints.
The president of Sistema Encontro das Águas (TV and Radio), Oswaldo Lopes, highlighted that the broadcaster’s purpose is to take communication throughout the state and cited the broadcaster’s motto that Amazonas is Brazil. “We are going to walk more and more together to make Amazonas what it is. Our state has always been seen in a somewhat distant way. But Amazonas is Brazil.”
This text was originally published by Agência Brasil, on April 29, 2026, at 7:05 pm. The content is free for republication, the source is cited, and has been adapted to the Poder360 standard.
