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The Venezuelan government has taken six cable television channels off the air for breaking a law on transmitting government material.

The privately owned RCTV International, openly opposed to President Hugo Chavez, is one of those affected.

On Saturday the government had ordered RCTV to televise a government message, but the channel refused to comply.

The communications director for RCTV, Gladys Zapain, told AFP there was "no prior notification" of the move.

Last week RCTV, along with 23 other cable channels, was redefined by the government as a national, rather than international broadcaster.

As such, the channels would now be expected to carry presidential addresses and government campaign material in what is an election year in Venezuela. - BBC