Community Radio Licensing and Political Patronage in Brazil: An Empirical Analysis (datasets)

Snapshots of the system have been preserved by the Wayback Machine initiative of the Internet Archive and are accessible at web.archive.org/web/20230511112128/http://sistema.mctic.gov.br/SCPWeb/pages/externo/consultar-processo.jsf.Within the dataset's spreadsheet, column A represents the variable "parliamentary name" and contains the names of all federal deputies and senators from the 51st to the 55th legislatures (1999-2018) in Brazil.

Columns B through HX display the variable "official letters protocol numbers" registered by each federal deputy or senator listed in column A. These columns provide an extensive record of the official correspondence between parliamentarians and the Ministry of Communications, facilitating a detailed analysis of their communications over the specified period.This dataset is provided in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format.

CSV files can be opened and manipulated using a variety of programs and software, such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet applications. Moreover, CSV files can be imported into various data analysis software and programming languages, including R, Python, and SQL.2) f_official_letters_sponsors.csvThe dataset used to support the findings of the article relates to community radio broadcasting authorization processes and was collected from official records provided by the Ministry of Communication.

To access this data, a formal request was submitted under the Brazilian Freedom of Information Act on September 17, 2018, with the protocol number 01390.001771/2018-78. The Ministry of Communications subsequently supplied the requested data on September 28, 2018. This data was then cross-referenced with information gathered from 9,179 processes registered in the Ministry of Communications under the names of parliamentarians from the 51st to the 55th legislatures (1999-2018), as detailed in the file f_parliamentary_names_official_letters.csv.

Through this process, we identified 4,258 protocols related to requests for information, expedited processing, reactivation, or pending documentation referrals concerning at least one community radio broadcasting authorization process. Finally, we connected the requests made by deputies and senators to their respective licensing processes.The spreadsheet for the second dataset is organized as follows: Column A displays the variable "home State" of the entity applying for a community radio license, while Column B presents the "home city" of the entity submitting the application.

Column C reveals the status of the licensing process as of September 2018; for a better understanding of what each variable in Column C signifies, consult the file f_key_status. Column D contains the name of the entity that applied for a community radio license.In Columns E through S, the names of the federal deputy or senator who sponsored the entity's application are listed, along with the protocol number of each official letter they submitted in support of the application.

Column T provides the licensing process protocol number for each entity, and Column U displays the number of the call for qualification under which each entity applied for a community radio license.This dataset is provided in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format. The CSV file can be opened and manipulated using a variety of programs and software, such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet applications.

Additionally, CSV files can be imported into various data analysis software and programming languages, including R, Python, and SQL.3) f_processes_coded_with_controls.csvUpon finalizing the previous databases (f_parliamentary_names_official_letters.csv and f_official_letters_sponsors.csv), the requests made by deputies and senators were linked to their respective licensing processes. During this stage, 414 out of 17,841 licensing processes were removed from the sample, as they were ongoing and lacked a final decision from public authorities.

Additionally, five processes were excluded due to inconsistencies in the names of entities and protocol numbers, which impeded the collection of further data necessary for classification and controls.Out of the initial 17,841 community radio broadcasting licensing processes in the sample, 17,422 were retained and divided into four groups: sponsored processes that were approved (1,519), sponsored processes that were denied (1,667), unsponsored processes that were approved (3,169), and unsponsored processes that were denied (11,067).

This categorization was achieved by examining the status of each process in the sample and cross-referencing it with information regarding sponsorship for each process.The spreadsheet for this dataset is organized as follows: Column A presents the variable "home State" of the entity that applied for a community radio license, and Column B displays the "home city" of the entity that submitted the application.

Column C indicates the Brazilian region in which the entity is located, with abbreviations representing the five regions: NORTE (North), NORDESTE (Northeast), CENTRO-OESTE (Center-West), SUDESTE (Southeast), and SUL (South). Column D reveals the status of the licensing process as of September 2018; for a better understanding of each variable in Column C, consult the file f_key_status.Column E contains the name of the entity that applied for a community radio license.

Columns F and G indicate the number of the call for qualification under which each entity applied for a community radio license and the date of the publication of the call for qualification, respectively. Column H provides a simplified version of Column D, with the final decision taken by the Ministry of Communication displayed as a binary variable: APROVADO (Approved) and ARQUIVADO (Denied).Column I presents the core codification for this research, displaying the four categories used for process analysis: APROVACP (sponsored process that was approved), ARQUIVSP (unsponsored process that was denied), ARQUIVCP (sponsored process that was denied), and APROVASP (unsponsored processes that were approved).

Column J offers a simplified version of Column I, translated into a binary variable to indicate whether the process was sponsored or not, with S representing Yes and N representing No.Column K indicates the government that ultimately approved or denied the process, with three possible values: FHC (President Fernando Henrique Cardoso), LULA (President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva), and DILMA (President Dilma Rousseff). Finally, Column L translates the region information into a binary code to indicate if the entity is located in the North or in Northeast regions (value S, meaning Yes), or if it is not located in the North or in Northeast regions (value N, meaning No).This dataset is provided in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format.

The CSV file can be opened and manipulated using a variety of programs and software, such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet applications. Additionally, CSV files can be imported into various data analysis software and programming languages, including R, Python, and SQL.4) f_key_status.csvThis dataset serves as a key to better understand the various statuses of community radio broadcasting licensing processes as of September 2018, as provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Communications.

The dataset's Portuguese sections were supplied by the Ministry of Communications as an annex to a dataset that the agency delivered in response to a formal request made under the Brazilian Freedom of Information Act on September 17th, 2018, bearing the protocol number 01390.001771/2018-78. The Ministry of Communications then provided the requested data on September 28th, 2018. The English translations were completed by the author.The spreadsheet for this dataset is organized as follows: Column A displays the abbreviations for the license process statuses, as provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Communications and reproduced in the f_official_letters_sponsors.csv and f_processes_coded_with_controls.csv datasets.

Column B presents a short meaning in Portuguese for each abbreviation. Column C contains a more detailed, long meaning in Portuguese for each abbreviation. Finally, Column D provides the long meaning in English, translated from the long meaning in Portuguese by the author.This dataset is provided in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format.

The CSV file can be opened and manipulated using a variety of programs and software, such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet applications. Additionally, CSV files can be imported into various data analysis software and programming languages, including R, Python, and SQL.