Media assets

Television: TNH

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

TNH is a state-owned broadcasting channel, operating under the direct authority of the Honduran government, specifically the Office of the Presidency, which exercises complete administrative control.

The appointment of TNH’s General Director falls under the purview of the Minister from the Office for Strategy and Communication. Notably, the station lacks a board of directors and functions without a competitive selection process for its management and staff, with all recruitment decisions residing squarely in the government’s hands.

Source of funding and budget

The Honduran Presidential Secretariat earmarks a portion of its budget for TNH, a state-operated entity wholly reliant on government funding to remain operational. As advertising is prohibited on state-run outlets, including TNH and Radio Nacional de Honduras (RNH), the station teeters on a financial tightrope.

There is a lack of concrete information regarding TNH’s budget in recent years, and persistent financial hardships have often resulted in delayed salary payments for its staff.

Editorial independence

The Office of Communication and Strategy within the presidency governs the content and editorial agenda of TNH. This station was launched in 2008 as a vehicle to promote President Manuel Zelaya’s policies, activities, and the ‘Cuarta Urna’ (Fourth Urn) initiative—a political campaign widely criticized as a backdoor attempt to facilitate his indefinite re-election. Not long after its inception, a coup ousted President Zelaya, leading TNH to pivot and align itself as a propaganda arm for the succeeding government— a role it continues to carry out to this day.

TNH operates in accordance with the Presidential House’s Code of Ethics and the Labor Code of Honduras. Nevertheless, recent research uncovered no existing domestic legislation that would enshrine the station’s editorial independence.

Furthermore, no independent oversight body or evaluation mechanism has been identified to verify TNH’s editorial impartiality thus far. Its policies remain firmly under the control of the Office of Communication and Presidential Strategy.

April 2025

Media assets

Radio: Radio Nacional de Honduras (RNH)

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

The RNH, akin to the TNH, operates directly under the presidential office, falling specifically within the remit of the Office for Communication and Presidential Strategy. The appointment of the RNH director is a prerogative shared by the President of the Republic, the Presidential Office Press Secretary, and the Minister of Communication and Strategy, who assume this responsibility on a rotational basis.

Source of funding and budget

The Secretariat of the Honduran Presidency designates part of its budget to sustain RNH, which completely depends on government finances to remain operational. State media, including TNH and RNH, are strictly barred from running advertisements. However, in recent years, RNH has faced severe funding cuts, hampering the station’s capacity to upgrade and modernize its operations.

Editorial independence

The Office of Communication and Strategy under the presidency holds complete authority over the content and editorial direction of RNH. The station’s programs consistently mirror the government’s official narrative and are steadfast in their support of the current administration.

An informal content analysis of RNH’s programming, conducted in 2021, unveiled a distinctly propagandistic tone. For instance, RNH aired a program called ‘La Patrulla’ (The Patrol) every Saturday at 10 a.m., which was produced by the national police to showcase their work. The show frequently included cordial interviews with high-ranking officials, where the focus largely revolves around their accomplishments.

Moreover, a subsequent content analysis in May 2024 reaffirmed a pronounced bias favoring the sitting government in Honduras. During the spring of 2024, state-run media in Honduras was criticized for disproportionately spotlighting prospective candidates from the ruling political party Libre, leading to concerns of partisan favoritism.

No legal framework, domestic regulation, or independent oversight mechanism has been identified to ensure RNH’s editorial independence. The station’s content strategy and editorial policies remain firmly under the jurisdiction of the Office of Communication and Presidential Strategy, raising serious questions about its impartiality.

April 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Poder Popular

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Introduced in May 2022, Poder Popular is under the administration of the Secretariat of Strategic Planning (SPE), a government body tasked with spearheading the execution of President Xiomara Castro’s endorsed social and economic blueprint for the 2022–2026 term.

Source of funding and budget

Poder Popular operates entirely on financial support from the Honduran government. Official records reveal that the publication was allocated a budget of HNL 26m (equivalent to US$ 1m) for the year 2023.

Editorial independence

Poder Popular operates as a government-affiliated newspaper with a central mission to highlight and promote the administration’s policies. According to its leadership and various government representatives, the publication was launched to fill a void within the media landscape, providing the state with a dedicated channel to articulate and disseminate its policies and initiatives.

No domestic legislation, independent evaluations, or oversight frameworks have been identified to prove the editorial independence for Poder Popular.

April 2025

Media assets

Television: Canal del Congreso Nacional

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

The Canal del Congreso Nacional operates solely under the auspices of the Parliament of Honduras, which holds full authority over the appointment of its management team.

Source of funding and budget

Detailed information regarding the financing of Canal del Congreso Nacional remains elusive. Nevertheless, local journalists interviewed in May 2023 assert that the channel is fully bankrolled by the parliament.

Editorial independence

Every channel program is dedicated to showcasing and advocating for the work of the congressmen. No national legislation or independent evaluation/oversight framework has been identified to ensure or safeguard the independence of the Canal del Congreso Nacional.

April 2025

Media assets

Television: Canal de la Universidad Autónoma de Honduras (UTV)

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded (ISF)

Ownership and governance

UTV, in contrast to other state-controlled media outlets, operates under the guidance of an editorial university council, safeguarding its autonomy and ensuring it remains free from external influence.

Source of funding and budget

UTV relies on public funding channeled through the university that oversees its operations, according to insights shared by local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in May 2024. However, the most up-to-date publicly accessible financial records for the university stretch only as far back as 2009.

Editorial independence

UTV stands as the only state-funded broadcaster in Honduras that boasts both editorial independence and an educational emphasis, setting it apart from other state-run media outlets. Its operational autonomy is safeguarded through the university’s protections, under whose authority the station functions.

At present, there are no independent mechanisms in place to assess or oversee UTV’s editorial independence. Nevertheless, the channel is governed by an autonomous editorial council that ensures its programming is produced free from external influence. Government interference is notably absent, largely because UTV’s content carries little weight in shaping the nation’s media landscape.

April 2025

Media assets

Television: Fuerzas Armadas TV

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

The channel is government-owned and is accountable to the Secretary of State in the National Defense Office.

Source of funding and budget

No information about Fuerzas Armadas TV’s funding is publicly available. Local journalists interviewed for this report in May 2024 say that the channel is fully funded by the Defense Office, which has complete control over the outlet.

Editorial independence

Although Fuerzas Armadas TV’s programming is not exclusively focused on military content, its editorial stance is fully supportive of the Honduran army.

No domestic statute or independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of Fuerzas Armadas TV has been identified.

April 2025