This paper briefly discusses television reform in five Latin American countries where media reform occurred at roughly the same time, i.e., Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, and Brazil. The development of television in Colombia, where no reform occurred, is compared with television development in the other countries. The main causes that gave rise to the reform movements are described as shifts in political power within the countries and the emergence of new social actors; the principal elements in the reforms are identified as the political will and economic interest to change television. It is shown that television reforms failed when their authors lost their political power, and also because of the lack of internal coherence of the reforms themselves, their deficient economic viability, and the national and international opposition to them. A number of questions are raised about the motives behind the reforms and the continuity and inevitability of the commercial growth of television. The paper also analyzes how the reforms were exploited for political gain or loss. In conclusion it is suggested that consideration be given to the possibility of a disinterested public service reform of television in Latin America and to the possible sources for implementing this reform. (CGD)