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the inattention to software capability, and
the non-application (or only partial
application) of the instruments predicted by
the computers law. In second place, the
absence of an export policy, which has put
limits to the possibilities of enlarging the
scale. In third place, the underestimation
of the rhythm and intensity of technical
change in the electronic industry. Lastly,
the policy's non-selectiveness which has
overestimated the possibility of arousal of
innovative businessmen and has given
opportunity, in fact, to the appearance of
rent-seekers businessmen in the computer
industry, in a similar way to what happened
in the manufacturing industry in general,
under the industrial policy's protective
schemes. But, besides everything, the
absence of a clear policy position and of
support by the federal government's economic
area itself, and the absence of society's
support for the computer policy must be
mentioned.
In 1991 a new computers law was approved by
the Congress, confirming the end of market
protection at the predetermined expiry date
(October 1992), altering the concept of
national industry in order to favor a larger
participation of foreign money, and creating
new tax incentives for the computer industry
with investments in R&D of a minimum of 5%
of the net revenue in return.
Social Communications
Brazil's
communications network is considered to be
one of the most efficient in the world.
Despite their regional, social and economic
diversity, the 157 million Brazilians have
one passion in common:
Television,
is seen as the medium that unites the nation
from north to south and from east to west.
The national craze for "soap opera" has led
to the growth of the Rede Globo, Brazil's
largest TV network, internationally
acclaimed for its high standards of quality.
In its wake, other TV companies are seeking
to gain a toe-hold in the market and
together they inform, entertain and more
importantly, have a calming effect where
there is tension and unite where there are
differences. The small screen is in every
home sharing the audience with Radio,
the second largest information medium,
chiefly on the AM (medium wave) frequency,
and it is via this that news reaches places
as far away as the Amazon Forest and the
gaucho pampas.
Radio is another national craze but unlike
TV is not an evening leisure activity but
rather a means of communication that wakes
Brazil up in the morning. Present in 88.4%
of Brazilian homes, it is the vehicle that
guides the citizen through his day. By
listening to the programmes, Brazilians can
choose his route to work and hear
up-to-the-minute news. Broadcasts cover
Brazil's 8,547,403.5 km2 by means
of 1,335 commercial radio stations on AM and
a further 938 operating on FM. It is a
highly diverse universe that meets the
listeners' demand for news, information,
sport, services, leisure, music,
entertainment and even religion.
Despite its more limited circulation
compared with broadcast media, the Brazilian
Press is considered to be bold and
aggressive, exerting enormous influence on
the nation's political and institutional
life. The first newspapers appeared just
over 200 years ago and now there are more
than 2,500 titles. As in almost all the
world, the Brazilian press has close ties
with the State, and particularly the cities
in which the papers are published.
Newspapers are the main source for
accusation, investigation and the monitoring
of Brazil's economic, political and social
life.
Side by side with the broadcast media and
the press is Advertising. As the
world's sixth largest advertising market,
Brazil has won prizes each year at the
Cannes International Festival in France. Its
expertise is on a par with that of the
largest and most creative countries in the
market, such as the UK and the USA. To give
just one example, at the 1997 Cannes
Festival, Brazil gained no fewer than 27
"Lions", once again winning the acclaim of
advertising professionals and journalists
from all over the world for the excellence
of its work.
This skill is reflected in another field of
communication, that of Video where
Brazil has also won international awards,
despite the low level of penetration in
society where it is currently gaining
popularity. During the 1970s, it was used
exclusively by the fine arts which were
seeking new media and support for their
creative ideas. During the 1980s, the
generation of the independent video emerged,
extending the coverage of the creative video
and reaching a wider public. Finally, in the
1990s, the so-called new generation set out
with a style that was more mature, more
creative whilst at the same time
consolidating its previous achievements.
Within the
communications sector,
Cartoons
are another source of creativity as well as
being part of Brazilian daily life. This
graphic language form that combines humour
with political and moral criticism has a
strong tradition in Brazil. In the
nineteenth century, the Italian Angelo
Agostini pioneered the recounting of stories
picture by picture. But it was only after
the 1950s that this market gained ground,
with a fierce debate between the readers of
two of Latin America's largest publishers,
Globo and Abril. |
