The trial of Globo’s appeal against TV Gazeta, by former president Fernando Collor and his family, was postponed again on Thursday (2), for the second time in less than a month, by the 3rd Civil Chamber of the TJ-AL ( Court of Justice of Alagoas). Since December, the Rio broadcaster has been trying to end the contract with the Alagoas affiliate to give space to the group Asa Branca, from Caruaru (PE), which is just waiting for approval to start broadcasting.
The soap opera involving the breakup of the broadcasters has been going on for at least six months, with the Rio network announcing in November last year its intention not to renew the retransmission contract in Alagoas, which would expire on December 31st. TV Gazeta challenged it in court and obtained an injunction in December 2023 forcing Globo to renew the contract for five years. The decision was given by the judge in the judicial recovery process of Collor’s family’s communications companies, Arnon de Mello Organizations.
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Globo appealed to the TJ-AL and, in December, the case’s rapporteur, Paulo Zacarias, accepted the request and suspended the decision, maintaining the effects of the injunction until the judgment of the 3rd Civil Chamber, made up of three members. However, the deadline for the trial was extended. The trial was scheduled for April 10, but was postponed due to the declaration of suspicion by judge Alcides Gusmão, a member of the chamber. The delay extended even further when the president of the chamber, Fábio Bittencourt, went on vacation, postponing the return of the case to the agenda for 22 days.
According to information released by UOL columnist Carlos Madeiro, on the eve of the trial, Globo questioned the TJ-AL chamber and requested a draw to choose Bittencourt’s replacement judge. The broadcaster opposed the president’s decision to only summon a judge without a public draw, claiming that the chamber should follow the law and internal regulations. In Thursday’s session (2), there was disagreement between the judges about the criteria and timing of the draw to choose the replacement.
While Paulo Zacarias defended the immediate holding of the draw to avoid further delays, the president of the chamber refused, claiming that TV Gazeta still had a deadline – which ended on Thursday – to contest Globo’s request. TV Gazeta’s lawyer stated that he did not agree with the date draw. He also made a hint questioning Globo’s arguments and suggesting, in his view, that the Rio network was “suspicious” of the Court. In response, Globo’s lawyer reaffirmed the broadcaster’s right to request a public draw. After back and forth, the draw was scheduled for May 16th. There is no prediction of the trial date.
