Is Spanish public broadcaster TVE at its best ever?
We look at the debate on Burbuja.info over whether TVE is enjoying its finest hour or whether the awards it has received are just propaganda from a system under suspicion.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The best TVE in history: public success or group marketing?
Spain's public television is, according to some, enjoying its golden age, backed by a string of awards handed out by friendly media outlets. Yet the debate on the forum reveals a much harsher reality: TVE's audience and prestige are being called into question by those who see these accolades as nothing more than an exercise in institutional self-promotion funded with public money.
Circle-jerk awards and the bias of ownership
The thread opens with the enthusiasm of a user celebrating the awards won by presenters such as Javier Ruiz or Silvia Intxaurrondo at the El Televisero awards. The forum's response has been blunt: scepticism dominates the mood. Users were quick to point out the direct connection between the portal that hands out the awards and Grupo PRISA, calling the event a "circle-jerk awards show". For many, public television has ceased to be a service and has become a propaganda tool, indistinguishable in its political control dynamics from past eras.
Decline versus the memory of quality
Beyond politics, there is a recurring complaint about the technical and narrative quality of today's content. Comparisons with gems from the 1980s, such as "Los gozos y las sombras", serve to illustrate a decline that, according to users, is irreversible. While some defend public management, others argue that the state model is, by definition, a bottomless pit of power concentration detached from citizens' real needs.
The debate stalls at the dichotomy between faith in the public and total disaffection with the screen. The question left hanging is not whether TVE is better or worse than a decade ago, but whether traditional television still makes sense in a 21st century where the viewer has, quite literally, decided to smash their receiver with a hammer.
Related debates on the forum
Spain's public television is, according to some, enjoying its golden age, backed by a string of awards handed out by friendly media outlets. Yet the debate on the forum reveals a much harsher reality: TVE's audience and prestige are being called into question by those who see these accolades as nothing more than an exercise in institutional self-promotion funded with public money.
Circle-jerk awards and the bias of ownership
The thread opens with the enthusiasm of a user celebrating the awards won by presenters such as Javier Ruiz or Silvia Intxaurrondo at the El Televisero awards. The forum's response has been blunt: scepticism dominates the mood. Users were quick to point out the direct connection between the portal that hands out the awards and Grupo PRISA, calling the event a "circle-jerk awards show". For many, public television has ceased to be a service and has become a propaganda tool, indistinguishable in its political control dynamics from past eras.
Decline versus the memory of quality
Beyond politics, there is a recurring complaint about the technical and narrative quality of today's content. Comparisons with gems from the 1980s, such as "Los gozos y las sombras", serve to illustrate a decline that, according to users, is irreversible. While some defend public management, others argue that the state model is, by definition, a bottomless pit of power concentration detached from citizens' real needs.
The debate stalls at the dichotomy between faith in the public and total disaffection with the screen. The question left hanging is not whether TVE is better or worse than a decade ago, but whether traditional television still makes sense in a 21st century where the viewer has, quite literally, decided to smash their receiver with a hammer.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (46 replies).
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