# Colombia Media Landscape Explained

> Colombia's media landscape: private giants dominate, state broadcaster cuts news, press freedom at risk.
- Title: Colombia Media Landscape Explained · The Rio Times | Shortify
- Summary: Colombia's media landscape: private giants dominate, state broadcaster cuts news, press freedom at risk. Colombia's media is controlled by three private…
- Keywords: colombia, media, press freedom, state broadcaster, private media groups, colombia media landscape, inravisión, caracol television, rcn television, el tiempo, el espectador, rsf
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/colombia-media-landscape-explained-2026
- Author: Contributing Reporter
- Published: 2026-10-19T09:14:40+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: colombia, media, press freedom, state broadcaster, private media groups, colombia media landscape, inravisión, caracol television, rcn television, el tiempo, el espectador, rsf
## Key Facts
Colombia has 53 million people, 79% use internet as of 2026. News reaches through TV, radio, newspapers, phones and social platforms.
## Who Owns It
Valorem owns Caracol Televisión and El Espectador. Ardila Lülle group owns RCN. Prisa owns Caracol Radio.
## Press Freedom
Colombia ranked 102nd of 180 countries in 2026 World Press Freedom Index, up from 115th in 2025. Legal indicator is best at 55th.
## Safety
470 attacks on journalists logged in 2025, including one killing. 98 of every 100 crimes against reporters go unpunished.
## Public Media
State broadcaster Inravisión changed name in 2026. Government ended news programming in August 2026 for cultural content.
## Trust
Only 25% of Colombians trust most news in 2026. 49% sometimes or often avoid news.
## Power Index
Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index with 51.9 points (October 2026).
## Television Groups
Caracol Televisión and RCN Televisión are Colombia's two major private networks. Caracol belongs to Valorem, RCN to Ardila Lülle group.
## Radio Restructuring
RCN consolidated radio news under La FM. Caracol Radio absorbed W Radio with layoffs, led by Prisa.
## Newspapers
El Tiempo is owned by Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo since 2012. El Espectador owned by Valorem. Semana owned by Gilinski group since 2020.
## Semana Dispute
Semana published unproven allegations about former first lady's circle. President De la Espriella ordered investigation.
## State Broadcaster
Inravisión runs Señal Colombia and Canal Institucional TV channels and Radio Nacional de Colombia and Radiónica radio stations.
## State Budget
Inravisión's 2024 budget was COP 385.1 billion (US$121 million), mostly from public transfers.
## New Manager
Ángela María Mora Soto, a lawyer who ran ANTV from 2015 to 2018, became Inravisión's manager by Decree 1196 of 2026.
## News Programming End
Government ended Inravisión's news programming in August 2026, shifting to cultural programming.
## Law and Regulators
Article 20 of Colombia's 1991 constitution guarantees free expression and media responsibility.
## Key takeaway

Colombia's media is controlled by three private groups, with the state broadcaster ending news programming in August 2026 amid press freedom concerns.