Argentina's Government Starts Effort To Break Up Opposition Media Company

Grupo Clarin ticked off the wrong bunch of control freaks

Argentina's government told the country's largest media conglomerate on Monday that it has begun a process to break up the company and auction off its media licenses.

Grupo Clarin has battled with President Cristina Fernandez for years. Fernandez argues that it is a corporate monopoly and has funded a network of pro-government newspapers and stations to challenge Clarin's dominance.

Grupo Clarin has called Fernandez's bid to break it up an illegal attempt to silence one of the government's leading critics and to stifle press freedom.