Today, RTVE airs several television channels including La1, which focuses on news and current affairs, La2, which features cultural programming and documentaries, Teledeporte, which primarily airs sports content, 24h, an all-news channel, Clan, which is specialized in children’s programming, TVE Internacional, and two channels dedicated to the Catalonia region. Additionally, RTVE operates the radio network RNE, which consists of six radio channels.

Media assets

Television: Televisión Española (TVE)- La 1, La 2, Canal 24h, Teledeporte, Clan, La 1 Cataluna, La 2 Cataluna, Teledeporte, TVE Internacional, TVE HD

Radio: Radio Nacional de España (RNE)- Radio Nacional, Radio Clásica, Radio 3, Radio 4, Radio 5, Radio Exterior

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

In 2006, the public media companies TVE and RNE were dissolved due to significant deficits. They were replaced by Corporación RTVE, a state-owned company with special autonomy responsible for providing public broadcasting services. The entire social capital of Corporación RTVE is owned by the state.

According to the law, the highest governing structure at RTVE is the Board of Directors, which oversees strategic and institutional matters. Following a reform introduced by Royal Decree-Law in October 2024, the Board was expanded from 10 to 15 members. Of these, 11 are appointed by the lower house of Parliament (the Congreso de los Diputados) and four by the Senate, with each member serving a six-year term.

The same legislative reform reduced the parliamentary threshold required for appointing or renewing Board members—from a qualified two-thirds majority to a simple absolute majority. This change was met with criticism from domestic and international media freedom organizations, concerned that it weakens the system of political checks and balances. In particular, critics argued that it enables governing parties to appoint a Board majority without requiring consensus from the main opposition. In November 2024, a new 15-member Board of Directors was formally appointed.

Since 2018, the corporation has been experiencing a severe crisis due to the failure of the parliament to appoint its Board of Directors. Instead, a sole provisional administrator, Rosa María Mateo, was named for the station. In January 2020, she asked the government to appoint a board, threatening to resign if they didn’t. In November 2020, the government decided to cancel a competition that had been ongoing since 2018, aimed at appointing the Board. Experts believe this move allowed the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Popular Party (PP) to appoint their people to the RTVE Board, effectively securing control of the station for the next six years. Finally, in February 2021, the government appointed the Board of Directors, with seven out of the ten members nominated by the PSOE and PP.

In 2022, there were continued attacks on RTVE’s editorial independence. The station’s president, Jose Manuel Perez Tornero, resigned under pressure from the government, which has been trying to secure its control over the public broadcaster in anticipation of a series of elections in Spain. After his resignation, Elena Sánchez Caballero was appointed interim president in September 2022. She served in this role until her resignation in March 2024.

In March 2024, Concepción Cascajosa was appointed new interim president of the RTVE Corporation for a six-month term, replacing Caballero. Cascajosa, a professor at the University Carlos III of Madrid, was appointed for a six-month term. In December 2024, the Spanish government appointed José Pablo López Sánchez as the new president of RTVE, taking over from Cascajosa.

Source of funding and budget

Until 2009, RTVE operated under a mixed financing model, combining direct state subsidies with revenue from commercial advertising. Over time, however, this approach faced mounting criticism. Observers argued that reliance on advertising exerted commercial pressure on programming choices, distorted the advertising market to the disadvantage of private broadcasters, and left editorial independence vulnerable, as state subsidies linked to political decision-making created opportunities for government influence.

To address these concerns, Spain introduced a new framework with Law 8/2009, which came into force on 1 January 2010. From that point forward, RTVE was prohibited from broadcasting commercial advertising.

The new system established two main revenue streams: public funding (comprising an annual allocation from the General State Budget approved by Parliament, supplemented by 80% of revenues from the radio spectrum reservation fee; and industry levies (consisting of mandatory contributions from private operators: a 3% levy on gross operating revenue of commercial broadcasters, and a 1.5% levy applied to pay-TV and on-demand (streaming) platforms. These funds are collected by the national tax authority and transferred to RTVE.

In 2024, RTVE’s total budget reached €1.181 billion, an increase from €1.066 billion in 2023. Of this amount, €589.6 million derived from the state budget allocation, €480 million from the radio spectrum fee, and €85.6 million from industry levies. Overall, nearly half of RTVE’s funding in 2024 came from the state budget, around 41% from the spectrum fee, and roughly 7% from industry contributions. The remainder was sourced from donations, grants, and European Union funds.

Editorial independence

During a significant reform of the public broadcasting system in Spain in recent years, RTVE has faced strong editorial pressures from the government. According to RTVE’s News Council, an internal body responsible for ensuring the broadcaster’s independence, cases of manipulation by political powers have significantly increased since 2015. Although the station has mechanisms to assess its independence, it lacks tools to prevent manipulation before it happens. The pressures have often led to removing journalists and editors who were critical of the government.

RTVE’s editorial coverage faces more pressure when a single political party holds a majority in power. However, when the parliament is more fragmented, the pressure decreases because RTVE’s governance structures are not controlled by a single political group.

Journalists who have worked with RTVE have reported persistent examples of editorial manipulation at the broadcaster in recent years. After Jose Manuel Perez Tornero resigned as President of RTVE, the government appointed Elena Sanchez to lead the broadcaster. Sanchez stated that she disagreed with any political party and would strive to ensure the station’s independence from political pressures. However, according to content monitoring conducted in 2023 and 2024 by the Media and Journalism Research Center, which produces the State Media Monitor, and the opinions of Spanish journalists interviewed for this report in May 2024, the station continues to succumb to political influences.

The 2006 Law No. 17 “guarantees” RTVE’s editorial independence, although it does not include specific provisions for establishing its independence.

RTVE has several mechanisms in place to ensure its editorial independence. One important mechanism is the News Council, an internal body established by Law No. 17, which regulates the RTVE. The Council consists of representatives of RTVE and is divided into three sub-committees. The first sub-committee focuses on TVE and has 13 members; the second deals with RNE and has nine members; and the third handles RTVE’s online platforms and has three members.

The main role of the News Council is to monitor RTVE’s operations, including its programming, and to identify any threats to the broadcaster’s editorial independence. Despite the Council’s efforts to publicize threats to RTVE’s editorial independence, it has not been very effective in preventing political manipulation from impacting RTVE’s editorial independence.

August 2025

Media assets

News agency: EFE

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

EFE is a state-owned company, with its shares fully controlled by the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), a state-owned industrial holding under the Spanish Ministry of Finance and Public Function. The agency is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, whose members are appointed by the General Shareholders Meeting, comprising SEPI representatives. In June 2024, SEPI appointed Miguel Ángel Oliver as the new president of EFE, replacing Gabriela Cañas.

Source of funding and budget

EFE’s primary revenue streams include content sales to clients worldwide and a significant annual state subsidy from the Spanish government. While the agency has faced consistent financial losses, state support has been crucial for its operation.

In 2021, the state subsidy was nearly €54 million, covering over 63% of the budget. By 2022, EFE’s total budget reached €86.6 million, with government subsidies accounting for 62% of this figure. In 2023, the agency received another €54 million, which covered approximately 56% of its total costs. For 2024, the budget is not publicly available.

Editorial independence

There is no evidence of government control over editorial content at EFE. The agency’s journalists are known for resisting authorities’ pressure regarding their coverage. EFE has a Newsroom Statute that establishes the agency’s editorial independence. EFE also has a News Council made up of agency journalists who monitor and oppose any attempts to control the agency’s editorial strategy and coverage.

The appointment of Miguel Ángel Oliver as president of EFE in December 2023, given his past role as Secretary of State for Communication under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, sparked criticism from opposition parties and media commentators, who argued that such a profile could compromise perceptions of neutrality at the state news agency. Further concerns were voiced over subsequent senior appointments, which some journalists described as politically motivated.

However, despite heightened scrutiny, no robust, peer-reviewed content analyses have so far demonstrated a systematic pro-government bias in EFE’s output under Oliver’s leadership, and the agency continues to emphasise the safeguards provided by its newsroom statute and editorial council.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: TV3 (HD), 33/Super3, 3/24, Esport3, TV3CAT

Radio: Catalunya Ràdio, Catalunya Música, Catalunya Informació, iCat fm

News agency: Catalan News Agency (ACN)

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

CCMA was established as a public enterprise subordinated to the Generalitat de Catalunya through Law No. 11 of 2007. This continues to underpin its legal foundation.

The main governing bodies at CCMA are the Governing Council and the corporation’s President. The Governing Council comprises seven members appointed by the Parliament of Catalonia following a suitability report from the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (CAC), with the President elected from among those seven by Parliament. There is also a dedicated Parliamentary Control Committee overseeing CCMA and its subsidiaries.

As of the most recent data, Rosa Romà i Monfà serves as President of the Governing Council, a role she has held since 9 March 2022. Additional key leadership roles include Rosa Cullell i Muniesa as director‑general, Jaume Peral i Juanola as director of TVC (Televisió de Catalunya), and Saül Gordillo i Bernàrdez as director of Catalunya Ràdio.

Source of funding and budget

CCMA is primarily funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya, with some income generated through commercial activities by its subsidiaries.

In 2022, the CCMA received a state subsidy from the Catalonian government of over €248m, representing over three-quarters of the station’s budget. Advertising is the second-largest source of funding for the CCMA. The funding is approved periodically based on a program contract between the CCMA and the Generalitat. In 2022, the CCMA generated approximately €47.5m from ad sales, a 2% decline compared to the previous year.

In 2023, the CCMA had a total budget of €383m, some €308m of which was accounted for by subsidies from various state bodies.

Editorial independence

CCMA’s framework statute identifies editorial independence as one of the core values and guiding principles of the broadcaster’s work.

To safeguard this, the corporation has established mechanisms to evaluate and monitor editorial independence. One such mechanism is the Audience Advocate, tasked with protecting the rights of viewers, listeners, and users of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalunya Ràdio, and CCMA’s digital platforms. The Advocate receives public inquiries, suggestions, and complaints concerning the accuracy, thoroughness, diversity, and fairness of CCMA’s content, which are then addressed by the broadcaster’s management.

CCMA also maintains a Content and Programming Advisory Board that supports the Governing Council and the President in assessing programming strategies and services. This body is composed of 16 members, all elected by the Catalan Parliament.

Despite these safeguards, CCMA has often been the target of criticism from authorities and politicians, who argue that the Catalan government exerts undue influence over its editorial coverage. Earlier academic analyses, however, found no evidence of systematic control, suggesting a generally satisfactory level of editorial independence.

More recent research, however, points to a different trend. Evidence suggests that censorship has increased within CCMA, with the government consolidating influence over its editorial agenda. In 2021, TV3 reporter Santiago Torres publicly accused CCMA of political interference and became the first journalist in Spain to invoke the so-called “conscience clause,” a legal provision allowing journalists to resign in order to protect their professional integrity and independence. Independent observers continue to criticize CCMA for perceived bias and the misuse of public funds.

In light of these developments, CCMA was downgraded to the “State-Controlled” category in our State Media Matrix in 2024.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: ETB 1 (HD), ETB 2 (HD), ETB 3, ETB 4, ETB Sat, Canal Vasco

Radio: Euskadi Irratia, Radio Euskadi, Radio Vitoria, EiTB Musika, Euskadi Gaztea

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

EiTB is owned by the Government of the Basque Country and is under the direct supervision of the Regional Ministry of Culture. In July 2020, the Basque government approved a change in EiTB’s corporate structure, transforming it into EiTB Media, a public limited company that consolidates all public media in the region.

According to the law governing EiTB’s establishment, the Basque Parliament is responsible for selecting the director general, who holds the highest authority, and appointing the Board of Directors. The board serves as the station’s top governing body, with its members recommended by academic institutions and non-governmental organizations as specified by law.

Andoni Aldekoa was appointed as the new Director General in July 2020, succeeding Maite Iturbe. Aldekoa’s appointment marked a new era for the broadcaster, with him bringing experience as a journalist and former communication advisor to the Basque regional government leader, Iñigo Urkullu. The decision received support from the governing parties (PNV and PSE-EE) and criticism from the opposition regarding his political affiliations, but confirmed his leadership change from Iturbe, who had led EiTB since 2013.

Source of funding and budget

EiTB is primarily funded by state subsidies allocated by the Basque Country government. The broadcaster’s budget has seen notable changes in recent years. In 2022, the budget reached €163 million, with over 85% coming from government allocation. The 2023 budget increased to €184 million, with the majority also from government funds.

Editorial independence

EiTB has frequently faced criticism for its lack of editorial independence, particularly regarding the director general’s appointment process. Despite these criticisms, the broadcaster often covers sensitive topics, and its journalists are known for their willingness to criticize authorities. The Basque Parliament has also, at times, mandated unbiased editorial coverage.

EiTB has a newsroom statute detailing all the rules, rights, and directions the group’s journalists must follow. This document establishes the group’s editorial independence.

The EiTB has a News Council for each media outlet, consisting of EiTB journalists. The newsroom statute guarantees their independence in monitoring EiTB’s work.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: TVG, G2, TVG Europa, TVG América

Radio: Radio Galega, Radio Galega Música, Son Galicia Radio

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

CSAG, formerly CRTVG, is a public entity owned by the Galician regional government, grounded in Law 9/1985 of Galicia. It is governed by a Board of Directors, whose members are appointed by the Galician Parliament to represent a spectrum of political parties.

The executive leadership rests with the Director General, who is directly appointed by the Xunta de Galicia and serves a term concurrent with legislative periods.

After more than 15 years at the helm, Alfonso Sánchez Izquierdo has stepped down as Director General of the Galician Radio and Television Corporation (CRTVG), a post he had held since his appointment in 2009 by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, then president of the Xunta de Galicia and current leader of Spain’s conservative Partido Popular (PP). Izquierdo’s long tenure, often criticized for aligning the broadcaster’s editorial line with the PP and marred by legal controversies, including investigations into alleged workplace harassment, ended in July 2025. On 8 July 2025, the Galician Parliament appointed Concepción Pombo as his successor, completing the leadership transition at what is now formally called the Corporación de Servizos Audiovisuais de Galicia (CSAG).

Pombo’s arrival, described by observers as a choice of continuity, leaves her with the challenge of managing a broadcaster marked both by recent innovation—such as the launch of UHD broadcasting—and by growing internal unrest, including the corporation’s first-ever indefinite strike in 2024 over outsourcing and editorial pressures.

Source of funding and budget

CSAG’s funding base remains largely composed of two streams: regional government subsidies alongside advertising revenues and content-related commercial activity. In 2020, CRTVG’s budget stood at approximately €111 million, with over 91 % coming from regional subsidies and the remainder from advertising. By 2023, the budget had increased to €126.6 million, with around €118.7 million sourced as government subsidy.

The corporation’s 2025 budget saw further growth: the regional Parliament approved a budget of €135.7 million, an increase of €4.5 million compared to 2024. Of this, around €41 million (30.3 %) was allocated to content procurement from Galicia’s audiovisual sector—covering fiction, documentaries, and entertainment—while the personnel budget rose to nearly €58 million (42.7 %) to support employment stability. Additional investments included €1.5 million for technological modernization (covering new radio production systems, TVG continuity control systems, and studio lighting) and €650,000 for technical equipment upgrades.

Editorial independence

CRTVG’s founding legal framework includes provisions intended to protect its editorial independence, supplemented by its internal “Guiding criteria for the editorial direction,” which governs quality and impartiality.

Nonetheless, increasing political pressure and attempts at influence, particularly from the ruling PP in the regional Parliament, have sparked growing unrest among CRTVG staff. Journalists have consistently opposed what they view as attempts to control editorial content, staging frequent protests since around 2018.

A rare escalation occurred when 2024 marked the corporation’s first-ever indefinite strike, triggered by the outsourcing of the long‑running in‑house program A Revista to private production companies. Workers argued that this outsourced coproduction, with nearly identical participants but delivered by private entities, unjustifiably increased public spending and concentrated narrative control among those aligned with the governing party. The strike, with approximately 32.5 % participation, led to partial interruption of programming and brought to light an ongoing judicial investigation into alleged workplace harassment implicating several executives, including the Director General.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: À Punt (HD)

Radio: À Punt FM

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

CVMC was established as a public service for radio and television broadcasting by Law No. 6 of 2016 and is owned by the Generalitat (Valencia’s autonomous government).

The Valencia regional government passed Law 2/2024 on June 27, 2024, to merge CVMC and Societat Anònima de Mitjans de Comunicació de la Comunitat Valenciana (SAMC), the state-owned company created by the Generalitat Valenciana in 2016 to act as the managing company of À Punt Mèdia (the regional broadcaster), into a new entity known as the Corporació Audiovisual de la Comunitat Valenciana, S.A. (CACVSA).

This new entity, which was officially constituted by the Consell on January 21, 2025, functions as a public limited company under the control of the Generalitat’s presidency. Its board of directors, now with eight members, is appointed by Parliament and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), a change that has raised concerns about the company’s independence. Previously, civil society, experts, and the broadcaster’s staff had the right to appoint their own representatives to the governing body of the CVMC.

Source of funding and budget

The Valencia regional government’s budget is CVMC’s main source of funding. According to the law, CVMC receives funding equal to 0.3% to 0.6% of the Valencia regional government’s overall budget. In October 2023, the Valencia government approved the region’s budget for 2024, with CVMC receiving the same amount as in 2023, namely €84m. Of this, €73.2m was earmarked for Societat Anònima de Mitjans de Comunicació (SAMC), the entity that manages the À Punt broadcasters and pays most of the staff. Details on the budget for 2025-2026 for the newly created CACVSA have not been publicly announced. CVMC also generates funding from advertising sales, which reached a new high of over €3m in 2023.

Editorial independence

The law establishing CVMC and an internal regulatory statute are supposed to ensure the broadcaster’s editorial independence. CVMC has a Citizens’ Council that serves as the broadcaster’s programming and content advisory board. The council aids CVMC’s Governing Council and general management in assessing the corporation’s programming strategies and services and communicates audience feedback to the station’s management. The Council welcomes complaints, suggestions, and proposals from the audience.

In the past there was no evidence of editorial interference by the regional government at CVMC (now CACVSA). On the contrary, various experts say that CVMC proved to be editorially independent. This was due in large part to the independence of the board that governs CVMC’s activity.

However, since the election of Carlos Mazón as president of the Valencia region in 2023, the regional government has increased its efforts to influence CVMC. The Popular Party (PP), with the support of the right-wing Vox party, has been criticized for appointing political commissioners at À Punt to control public broadcasters, censor the information they provide, and restrict their independence.

The new law passed in spring 2024 is seen by independent experts as a way to give politicians significant control over the broadcaster’s editorial decision-making. These concerns were heightened on November 20, 2024, when the director-general of the Societat Anònima de Mitjans de Comunicació (SAMC), Alfred Costa, resigned after it was revealed that Carlos Mazón had met with journalist Maribel Vilaplana to offer her the position of director of the new entity before it was even created. Vilaplana reportedly declined the offer. Following Costa’s resignation, the President of the Governing Council, Miquel Francés i Domènec, was appointed as the interim director-general.

Given these developments, we have reclassified CACVSA under the State-Controlled (SC) category in our State Media Matrix typology, denoting the highest level of government control.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: Canal Sur (HD), Canal Sur 2, Andalucía TV, Canal Sur Andalucía

Radio: Canal Sur Radio, Radio Andalucía Información, Canal Fiesta Radio, Flamenco Radio

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

RTVA was established by Law No. 18 of 2007 as a public corporate agency owned by the Regional Government of Andalusia, which fully subscribes to the company’s capital stock. The General Director is elected by the Parliament of Andalusia.

The current General Director of RTVA (Radio y Televisión de Andalucía) is Juan de Dios Mellado (commonly referred to as Juande Mellado). He was re-elected by the Parliament of Andalusia in 2022 with broad support and continues in this position as of 2025. Mellado has been the director general since July 2019 and is recognized for his leadership in digital transformation and local audiovisual industry development. His appointment and renewal have been supported by major political parties in the Andalusian Parliament.

The main governing body of RTVA is the Board of Directors, which consists of nine members appointed by the parliament. According to experts, the Board of Directors at RTVA should be appointed based on professional qualifications rather than political considerations to limit political pressures on the broadcaster.

Source of funding and budget

RTVA is funded through a combination of a government subsidy and commercial revenues, primarily from advertising sales.

In 2020, RTVA’s budget was €161 million, with the state allocation representing 88% of the total. In 2022, the total budget was €163.7 million, with the government subsidy contributing around €149 million. The broadcaster had a budget of €156.7 million in 2023. For 2024, the budget increased to €167.9 million. The Andalusian government’s budget for 2025 has been approved, with a specific section detailing the budget for the public corporate agency RTVA. The budget for RTVA for 2025 has been reported to be approximately €177 million.

Editorial independence

Two key documents, the law that created RTVA and an internal professional statute, contain provisions intended to safeguard the station’s editorial independence. RTVA also has an Audience Defender (or Ombudsman) whose mission is to address audience complaints and suggestions to improve RTVA’s content.

Nevertheless, RTVA has faced challenges regarding editorial independence. In October 2020, a trade union at Canal Sur voiced concerns that a then-implemented Professional Statute of RTVA would allow the broadcaster’s management to censor content. Over the past three years, there has been a noticeable increase in instances of censorship and the removal of critical journalists at Canal Sur, which some have criticized as a negative development.

A detailed media analysis published by El País in February 2025 highlights a clear editorial bias in favor of the Andalusian regional government (led by the PP) in Canal Sur TV’s news coverage. The study examined over 45 hours of programming, spanning 30 days from late 2024 into early 2025. It found a systematic skew in favor of the regional government, with news unfavorable to the PP or the regional executive being downgraded or omitted, while unfavorable reporting about the PSOE or national government received more prominence. This pattern is described as a systematic double standard favoring the Andalusian government.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: Telemadrid (HD), LaOtra

Radio: Onda Madrid

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Established by Law No. 8 of 2015 as a publicly owned company under the government of the Madrid Community, RTVM operates under a Board of Directors.

Following a new bill introduced in April 2022 by the People’s Party (PP), the process for appointing the Board of Directors and the Director General was changed from a qualified majority (two-thirds) to a simple majority. This change has allowed the Madrid government, led by the PP, to exert greater control over the broadcaster’s direction.

In July 2021, José Antonio Sánchez was appointed as the provisional administrator of RTVM, replacing the previous director general. This was facilitated by a legal reform that allowed the government to appoint a provisional administrator, effectively diminishing the role of the Board of Directors as established in Act 8/2015.

On June 26, 2024, José Antonio Sánchez was officially named Director General of RTVM by the Junta General de Accionistas (General Shareholders’ Meeting), ending his provisional status. His appointment followed a proposal from the RTVM Board of Directors and approval by the Assembly of Madrid. He started a definitive four-year term as director general from mid-2024. Sánchez, a veteran journalist with previous leadership roles at national public broadcaster RTVE and RTVM, is a known supporter of the People’s Party (PP). Under his leadership from 2021 to present, RTVM’s audience ratings have declined, reaching low levels in recent years.

Thus, the legal reform did enable the Madrid government to replace the director general with a provisional administrator, who remained in charge for almost three years before being confirmed as director general. The role of the Board of Directors has been notably weakened in this process, consolidating government control over RTVM.

Source of funding and budget

RTVM receives funding from both state allocations and advertising sales revenues. It’s important to note that the figures provided by the government and the broadcaster are significantly different. In 2022, the broadcaster’s total budget exceeded €90 million, with €81.7 million coming from state subsidies, as reported in an RTVM annual report. In 2023, the government allocated €67.3 million to RTVM. Additionally, advertising sales generated €6.7 million and the Community of Madrid provided another €2.1 million through an agreement. RTVM’s operating expenses for 2023 were €80.9 million.

For 2024, Radio Televisión Madrid (RTVM) had a budget subsidy from the Madrid regional government of approximately €76.5 million, with total projected revenues reaching about €79.8 million including advertising and sponsorships. For 2025, the budget is expected to increase by 6%, reaching around €91 million, with €81 million coming from government subsidies, about €7 million from advertising, and €3 million from sponsorships. This represents the highest level of funding in the last decade. Despite some challenges in advertising revenue, RTVM aims to maintain budgetary balance in 2025 without incurring losses. Data for the 2026 budget is not yet publicly available.

Editorial independence

The Madrid Parliament’s Basic Charter of RTVM explicitly ensures the broadcaster’s editorial independence from authorities and political groups. RTVM also has an internal unit called the Office for Audience Participation, which handles direct communication between RTVM and the general public. However, government interference with the broadcaster’s editorial agenda has increased in recent years. 

The change in the appointment process for the Board of Directors and Director General has been linked to a rise in government interference. There is mounting evidence that the Madrid region government, under the leadership of Isabel Diaz Ayuso, exerts significant influence over the station’s editorial coverage, displaying overt bias in favor of the Popular Party (PP).

August 2025

Media assets

Television: TV Canaria (HD)

Radio: Canarias Radio

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Radiotelevisión Canaria (RTVC) was established as a public entity under the regional government of the Canary Islands by Law No. 13/2014. For years, the broadcaster operated with its governing bodies—including the Governing Council—not fully constituted, which led to what local authorities described as “absolute blockage and institutional paralysis.”

To address this, the government of the Canary Islands introduced exceptional governance mechanisms. In October 2019, Parliament appointed Francisco Moreno García as Administrador Único (sole administrator), granting him full management authority to ensure the continuity of RTVC’s operations until a properly constituted Governing Council could take over. Moreno held this position until October 2023, when he left to become the new director of news at Mediaset España.

Later that year, through a decree-law, the Canary Islands government created a new figure, the Administrador General (General Administrator), to replace the Administrador Único and provide a more stable management structure. According to Law No. 13/2014, the Governing Council of RTVC, composed of five members appointed by the Parliament of the Canary Islands, remains the entity’s highest governing body.

Source of funding and budget

RTVC is mainly funded through state subsidies. In 2022, the government of the Canary Islands provided a subsidy of over €58.1 million, which constituted almost the entire broadcaster’s budget for that year. In 2023, RTVC’s budget slightly increased to €60 million.

Editorial independence

The law establishing RTVC safeguards the broadcaster’s editorial independence and also created the News Council to further protect it. The News Council’s work is governed by an internal set of rules approved by the Governing Council. Another oversight mechanism is the Audience Office, which receives and addresses audience complaints and suggestions related to RTVC’s programs.

However, criticism of RTVC’s editorial coverage has arisen, and there is evidence of government interference in RTVC’s editorial decisions in recent years. One notable incident in February 2024 involved a journalist being interrupted on air while reporting on issues that portrayed authorities negatively. This led in 2024 to the reclassification of RTVC as “State Controlled” (SC) in the State Media Matrix typology, a downgrade from its previous status.

Evidence of government control continued to emerge. In July 2025, Eldiario.es reported that Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo had effectively sidelined RTVC’s administrator general, María Méndez, by directing the public broadcaster’s operations through his vice-counselor and installing a newly created “director of Media and Content,” widely perceived as a political overseer. The move has sparked criticism from unions and staff, who denounced the process as opaque and discretionary, while programming changes, such as the abrupt cancellation of established shows and the awarding of contracts to external producers with political ties, were cited as evidence of direct presidential interference in RTVC’s editorial and management decisions.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: CMM TV (HD)

Radio: CMM Radio

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

RTVCM was established as a public company in 2000 through Law No. 3, which placed it under the control of the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. The regional parliament, through the Control Commission of the Public Entity of Radio-Television of Castilla-La Mancha, oversees the broadcaster. In 2023, the CMM Board of Directors, consisting of 13 members elected by the regional parliament, was reconstituted. This new board is once again presided over by José Francisco Rivas.

The station’s executive body, the General Director, is appointed by the regional cabinet, the executive branch of the regional government. The current director general of CMMedia is Carmen Amores, who also served as the rotating president of the Federation of Regional Radio and Television Organizations (FORTA).

Source of funding and budget

CMM is primarily funded through a subsidy from the regional government, which accounts for over 80% of its budget, with the remainder coming from advertising revenues.

The broadcaster’s budget has seen significant changes. The budget was €44.6 million in 2020, which was an increase of nearly €4 million from the previous year. It continued to grow, reaching €51.6 million in 2022 and €54.3 million in 2023. The budget for 2025 is set to surpass €66 million, which will largely be used to cover the rise in personnel costs and new maintenance expenses associated with HD broadcasting.

Editorial independence

CMM has historically faced political and state pressure seeking to influence its editorial content. Officials often raise concerns about the station’s management, and the media has reported on questionable business deals, although these are primarily business-related. Despite these challenges, there has been no documented evidence of the government systematically manipulating CMM’s editorial content.

The broadcaster’s editorial independence is guided by the “General Programming Principles,” a set of rules for its journalists. An Advisory Council, with 15 members appointed by the regional parliament, government, municipalities, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and the broadcaster’s staff, assists the Board of Directors with suggestions for programming improvements. The council provides feedback at least twice a year.

August 2025