Lopez Obrador starts own TV show

By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News, Mexico City

Mr Lopez Obrador lost last year's run-off by half a percentage point

The man who narrowly lost Mexico's presidential election is launching his own late night TV programme to overcome what he says is media bias against him.

Air time on the show, which launches on Tuesday, is being paid for by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's own supporters.

They say the mainstream Mexican media has ignored Mr Lopez Obrador and the left wing movement he represents.

Mr Lopez Obrador has never accepted his defeat in Mexico's presidential run-off against Felipe Calderon in July 2006.

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He says he was beaten by fraud. So angry was he, he declared himself Mexico's legitimate president.

Now he's going one stage further - claiming he has been ignored by what he calls Mexico's right wing television stations and newspapers, he is launching a weekly television programme to put what he says is the alternative point of view.

Called "The Truth Will be Told", the half-hour broadcast is being transmitted every Tuesday at 0100 (0700 GMT).

As it is being paid for by Mr Lopez Obrador's backers, they had little choice but to take one of the cheapest air times of the day.

Mr Lopez Obrador says he will use the programme to highlight the shortcomings of the country's Conservative president, Felipe Calderon, even though Mr Calderon has since adopted many of the policies of Mr Lopez Obrador.

Although its middle-of-the-night time slot might not be a ratings winner, even among his own supporters, Mr Lopez Obrador believes it is the only way his agenda of helping the nation's poor will stand any chance of exposure.