Caracas TV station must close

Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an opposition-aligned television station must stop broadcasting Monday while the high court reviews its appeal of a government decision not to renew its license.

The court announced on its website that it had accepted the appeal by Radio Caracas Television but rejected its request for “protective measures.”

That means the commercial station will be replaced next week by a public-service station, as announced by President Hugo Chavez, although the court is still reviewing Radio Caracas’ challenge to the shutdown.

Several hundred supporters of the government applauded the ruling during a march to the Information Ministry, where they gave officials a document backing the non-renewal of the station’s license.