The recently elected Government of the PP in Spain is on the verge of announcing a reduction of the budget of state broadcaster RTVE by €200 million.
The news was announced by Cristobal Montoro, Minister of Finance and Public Administration and the €200 million cut back will fall within the total €442 million that the ministry intends to cut.
Following budget cuts of €200 million, the Spanish government has said it is now reviewing the financial situation of the state broadcaster RTVE.
The situation of the broadcaster is ‘serious’ and the government is considering re-introducing selling commercial airtime as a serious option.
The current model of financing the broadcaster was introduced by the former socialist government and is based an a special tax of 0.9% slapped on the turnover of telecom companies and private broadcasters. This type of tax, which Spain introduced after France pioneered the idea, has come under heavy criticism from Brussels.
In addition to swingeing cuts to its budget, as decreed by Spain's new conservative government, it now seems inevitable that national public broadcaster Corporación RTV is to lose a number of channels.
As reported yesterday in Rapid TV News, TVE’s budget is to be reduced by €200 million and now in a futher indignity TVE may be forced toi decide between cutting channels or return to including commercial advertising on its programming.
Other avenues that the Corporation could take include having to sell some of its sporting rights such as the crown jewels of the UEFA Champions League's rights or even the ones pertaining to the London Olympics.
sources: rapidtvnews.com/index.php/2012010418475/rtve-may-reduce-channels-sell-rights-or-accept-ads.html and broadbandtvnews.com/2012/01/04/spanish-government-to-rethink-rtve-funding/
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