President Hugo Chávez' threat to review broadcasting licenses of private TV networks in Venezuela caused concern among broadcasters, who labeled Chávez' remarks as an intimidation and smoke screen.

"This is a new attempt at intimidating the serious, professional job of journalists," said Oswaldo Quintana, an executive officer with the Venezuelan Television Federation and TV network RCTV Legal Affairs Chief Executive. "They are trying to distract attention from the electoral issue."

Local news TV network Globovisión director Alberto Federico Ravell told AP that Chávez' announcement amounts to "another threat from an authoritarian president who does not believe in freedom of speech."

Ravell said Chávez intends to have TV networks behave the way he wants during the present electoral year.

Quintana said RCTV broadcasting license is valid through 2020. Any review or termination of such agreement would be a violation of the National Constitution, the Telecommunications Law, and the Inter American Convention on Human Rights.

Globovisión legal counsel Ana Cristina Núñez said this news TV network's broadcasting license is in force through 2015.

She added that, if the government intends to revoke licenses -just like the Information and Communication minister William Lara said on Thursday-, then it has to prove that TV channels have breached the agreements' terms.