Venezuelan information minister resigns over charges for official footage

Venezuelan Minister for Information and Communication Andres Izarra announced his resignation Tuesday over the planned charges for the use of footage from the state-run TV channel Venezolana de Television (VTV). Izarra told a press conference that he would submit his resignation to President Hugo Chavez because the decision was made without consulting with the president. Globovision, a private Venezuelan TV channel controlled by the opposition, said Tuesday that the VTV has decided to charge private TV networks for the use of its official footage with 3,350 U.S. dollars per minute from June 1.