Elena Sánchez debuts as president of RTVE in Congress asking not to be “the object of political disputes”

It has, after representatives of PP, Vox and Citizens in the commission have criticized his “illegal appointment”.

Opposition criticism of Elena Sánchez

The PP spokesman in this debate, Eduardo Carazo, has lamented that the choice of who should deal with the future of RTVE has not been produced by two thirds of the Lower House and considers that the departure of the former president of the Corporation leads, once again, to “confusion” and “provisionality ” to the enterprise. The objective of this “assault”, as Carazo has defined it, is the intention of the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchezto “control” RTVE’s information for the 2023 elections.

The Ciudadanos spokesman has also spoken of “assault” on this issue, William Diaz. For the deputy, the journalist is the one who has arrived in a “most original” way to preside over the corporation, after the “dedazos” and “majority changes” of the PP, and “the decree” of the coalition government appointing Rosa María Mateo. “What an embarrassment,” she declared, before advising Sánchez to “not lend himself to this.”

The representative of Vox in the commission, Manuel Marshal, for its part, has accused the Executive of appointing the interim president of RTVE “by finger” and “breaking the law”. In addition to the objective, in his opinion, that the 490 million that the Government has provided for RTVE’s budgets in 2023 serve “to activate the maximum agitation and propaganda” of the Executive for the next elections.

Faced with these accusations, the journalist has asked the deputies to read the report of the lawyers of the Cortes. The interim president of RTVE has asked them to review “what they are asked” and “what is their answer” since, in her opinion, “it is not the case” in which the company “is today ”.

Ask to recover the budgets from 2008 to 2011

Regarding his intervention on the budgets, Sánchez has defended before the commission, that the 2023 “allows us to continue with the recovery of the Corporation’s financing, assume the cost increases that we foresee for the coming year and advance in the transformation and modernization of the public service that we provide to citizens, this being a process that must be intensified over the coming years”

However, he has also stressed that it would be “essential” “progressively” recover the staff that the company had between 2008 and 2011to “be able to fulfill” the functions entrusted “as a public service”, among others that are mandated by law.

Specifically, he has referred to the fact that 382.9 million will be allocated “for the total consumption of television, radio and digital broadcast programs”, with the aim of “improving the quality of the programs and services” offered by the company.

As he explained, this amount that is proposed for 2023 in this matter “do not reach the spending levels of 2009”, when it “widely exceeded 400 million”.

In his opinion, “in an audiovisual market in transformation, and with the incorporation of OTT platforms and an increasing development of access through the digital environment, it is essential that RTVE bet on adapting to this new context”. “We must continue promoting our foreign presence brand image and fostering international co-productions to have a greater international impact”, he added.

Sánchez also highlighted the work of RTVE as a “strategic partner of Spanish culture and the film industry”. In this sense, he has highlighted that the forecasts for 2023 are increase investments in animation and documentaries by 40%. In addition, “the path started in 2019” will be maintained to promote productions made by womenas well as those created in the co-official languages ​​of Spain.

Review the expenses and income of RTVE

From the chapter on expenses, Sánchez has also highlighted those corresponding to the issue, which there are 136.7 million, 5% more than in the PGE of 2022, and that includes the transport of signal use for emission centers, among other issues. In this sense, he explained that the increase in electricity prices is taken into account; as well as the end, next year, of the contracts for broadcasting on DTT and FM. The new hiring, as Sánchez has indicated, will also imply a rise in cost.

In relation to personnel, he has indicated that 474.1 million euros will be allocated, which represents an increase of 2.7%, which is due to the expected salary increase, the increase in Social Security contributions and the progressive rejuvenation of the workforce that is being carried out. As he explained, a scenario is foreseen in which workers over 63 years of age will be released from the company, whose positions will be filled “in priority areas with a 100% replacement rate.” It is expected, as he explained, that “before December” a Public Job Offer is called to cover “1,082 temporary employment stabilization positions and new income”.

Regarding income, Sánchez has spoken of 1,194 million eurosrelating to operating subsidies (21.2 million), income from the fee for radioelectric public domain space (80 million) or public service compensation (489 million), among others.

In addition, these amounts take into account the change that the Corporation will undergo in terms of financing as of January 1 of next year, when it comes into force the new Audiovisual Law and that, among other measures, leads RTVE to lose the contribution of telecommunications operators.

This rule, however, also “enables new possibilities to develop commercial activities” and supposes “improvements in legal certainty”, according to Sánchez. To this novelty must be added the amounts received by RTVE for the transfer of real estate, for the exploitation of its resources or for cultural sponsorships.

Call to complete the Framework Mandate

In the same way, the journalist has recalled the situation that the Corporation is experiencing in relation to the application of VAT, a situation that, as she has pointed out, “remains unresolved despite the September 2021 ruling of the TSJUE” and that “supports the thesis” of RTVE. As she has explained, this is the situation that keeps the company in debt. If not, Sánchez has indicated, RTVE would be in surplus.

Finally, the interim president of the Corporation has called on the political parties to “to complete the elaboration of the new Framework Mandate to have a program contract that guarantees us the necessary stability in our financing, and thus be able to fulfill our mission of public service of state communication”.

Likewise, he has asked “as far as possible” not to be “the object of political disputes; I have come here as interim president of the Corporation to report on next year’s budget”.