Telesur tested by Chávez video

Telesur's focus so far has neither been the US nor Venezuela but Latin America. It has already aired a seven-part series on under-reported Haiti, for instance. In one story, a Haitian says that, "the US gives us much help and is a great neighbor." Chávez has long criticized US meddling in Haiti.

The network's first morning newscast covered the election crises in Peru and Bolivia. In the editors' meeting afterwards, a post-mortem took place. The Bolivia story had primarily focused on a speech by leftist indigenous leader, and presidential frontrunner Evo Morales. Producer Marcos Salgado said, "We have to compensate. Let's get footage from the candidate on the right."

At the meeting, someone proposed a new Chávez story separate from the Summit, to which another producer responded "enough Chávez."

To be sure, Chávez sympathizers run Telsur. Andres Izarra, the channel's president, briefly served as Chávez's minister of communications. Yet Mr. Izarra and Mr. Aharonian, are veteran journalists. Izarra previously worked at CNN and then RCTV, one of the private Venezuelan networks. Aharonian's been a journalist for more than 30 years, including briefly heading United Press International in Venezuela.

But the biggest question facing Telesur now is not about pro-Chávez propaganda, but whether it can attract viewers in the region.

Telesur says that cable networks in Argentina have now picked it up, though Osvaldo Bazan, a leading Argentine journalist who writes about television for the newsweekly Veintitres, says that Argentines still perceive it as state television, and that they remain skeptical of state-run institutions due to their experience with military dictatorships and rampant government corruption. Mr. Bazan adds that, "Chávez is certainly loved here and Bush hated, but nobody is interested in Telesur."

In Brazil, Alberto Dines, with the Observatoria da Imprensa, a Brazilian media watchdog, says that Brazilians "don't believe" state media, and adds that, "I don't see any chance for Telesur."

Also, many Venezuelans still question just how independent Telesur can really be, being primarily government-owned. They cite the case of Venezuelan journalist Walter Martinez. A Chávez supporter and nine-time winner of this country's version of the Pulitzer Prize. His news program, Dossier, was the highest-rated on Venezuela's state run VTV. But after criticizing Chávez's government for corruption, his program was taken off the air in September.

It may not be easy then for Telesur's employees to keep their network from becoming a Chávez mouthpiece. But Telesur's lone yanqui says, "Journalists have a social responsibility to keep an eye on the rich and powerful, whether it is Bush or Chávez."

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