The Government, through INCAA, has decided to part ways with Cine.ar TV and is seeking a buyer for its streaming platform, Cine.Ar Play
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The government of Javier Milei continues to firmly implement its policy of rationalizing spending and modernizing state structures. This time, it was the turn of the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), which confirmed the closure of Cine.ar TV and the process of transferring Cine.ar Play to the private sector, the Argentine cinema streaming platform launched in 2015.
The measure responds to a clear political decision: the State will no longer support a cable channel and a digital service with public resources that, according to the agency's own figures, require around 330,000 dollars annually (about 495 million pesos at the current exchange rate), just 0.9% of INCAA's total budget, estimated at 53,000 million pesos.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
"It is not the State's role to manage a cable channel. If any private party is interested in it, they are welcome," stated INCAA president Carlos Pirovano in statements to the media. The official explained that the goal is to get rid of obsolete structures and at the same time ensure that the content remains available, although under private management.
Currently, Cine.ar TV broadcasts national cinema 24 hours a day and remains available on systems such as Flow (channel 300). However, its continuity will depend on the interest of private investors. Meanwhile, Cine.ar Play—with a catalog of feature films and shorts from all eras—will be offered to the market on the condition of ensuring its operation and preserving its cultural heritage, but under criteria of efficiency and sustainability.
INCAA
The transition will not be immediate: the transfer could take between six months and one year. During that period, the affected staff will have to determine their future. Regarding this, INCAA's general manager, Carlos Vargas Eguinoa, informed permanent employees that they have ten days to choose between voluntary retirement or being placed on availability, while contract workers would see their contracts renewed only until the end of the year.
The Cine.ar operation, in all its variants (TV, Play, and Estrenos), currently operates with ten workers—five permanent and five contract—after the staff reduction implemented in 2024. This is further evidence of the official decision to eliminate unproductive expenses and minimize bureaucracy.
"It must be done properly. Preparing the terms and organizing everything implies a period that could extend between the next six months and one year," explained Pirovano, confirming that the transition will be orderly and transparent.
