Quequé returns to RTVE: the political cost of a cooking show
Quequé, acquitted of a hate crime, is returning to Spain's public broadcaster RTVE with a cooking show. The hiring reopens the debate over public money and political favoritism.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Quequé returns to RTVE: the political cost of a cooking show
Comedian Héctor Miguel, better known as Quequé, has been signed by RTVE (Spain's public broadcaster) to host a cooking show just a few months after announcing his retirement and being acquitted of a hate crime over his comments about the Valle de los Caídos. The deal, seen in the advertising market as a move to attract young viewers, reopens the debate over the use of public funds in state television and the revolving door between government circles and the broadcaster.
From the courtroom to the kitchen: Quequé's track record
Quequé, who started out on El Club de la Comedia and has worked for channels such as La Sens and the SER radio network, was charged in February 2025 with a hate crime after joking about blowing up the Valle de los Caídos. The investigating court dismissed the case and the Provincial Court acquitted him, throwing out the complaint brought by Abogados Cristianos (a conservative legal group). The media uproar, however, persisted. Now his return to public television with a cooking format reinforces the perception that RTVE acts as a megaphone for figures close to the government.
Record ratings and disguised sponsorship
Under the direction of José Pablo López, La 1 has strung together months of audience growth, according to Kantar data. Defenders of the public broadcaster argue that the success is due to giving people what they want, with no political bias. Critics, on the other hand, point out that the increase has been achieved by hiring figures close to the PSOE (Spain's ruling Socialist Party) and that the cost falls on taxpayers, since RTVE has carried no advertising since 2010. Quequé, a constant critic of the right and the far right, joins a list of controversial signings that, according to an analysis of staffing costs, have pushed the budget up 12% year on year.
A sweet deal for the comedian
The new show, which has yet to be named, is shaping up as a hybrid of cooking and stand-up. Quequé had already tried the format on the SER, but on public television he will get far greater exposure and a fixed salary. Those who defend the deal argue that the comedian is a magnet for indirect advertisers (RTVE carries no advertising, but it does have cultural sponsorships). Skeptics reply that it is just another cushy number, like the ones that have already tainted other collaborators of the government.
What no analysis has managed to explain is why, if audiences are responding, advertising is not brought back so that the cost does not fall on all Spaniards. The answer, as almost always, lies in politics.
Related discussions in the forum
Comedian Héctor Miguel, better known as Quequé, has been signed by RTVE (Spain's public broadcaster) to host a cooking show just a few months after announcing his retirement and being acquitted of a hate crime over his comments about the Valle de los Caídos. The deal, seen in the advertising market as a move to attract young viewers, reopens the debate over the use of public funds in state television and the revolving door between government circles and the broadcaster.
From the courtroom to the kitchen: Quequé's track record
Quequé, who started out on El Club de la Comedia and has worked for channels such as La Sens and the SER radio network, was charged in February 2025 with a hate crime after joking about blowing up the Valle de los Caídos. The investigating court dismissed the case and the Provincial Court acquitted him, throwing out the complaint brought by Abogados Cristianos (a conservative legal group). The media uproar, however, persisted. Now his return to public television with a cooking format reinforces the perception that RTVE acts as a megaphone for figures close to the government.
Record ratings and disguised sponsorship
Under the direction of José Pablo López, La 1 has strung together months of audience growth, according to Kantar data. Defenders of the public broadcaster argue that the success is due to giving people what they want, with no political bias. Critics, on the other hand, point out that the increase has been achieved by hiring figures close to the PSOE (Spain's ruling Socialist Party) and that the cost falls on taxpayers, since RTVE has carried no advertising since 2010. Quequé, a constant critic of the right and the far right, joins a list of controversial signings that, according to an analysis of staffing costs, have pushed the budget up 12% year on year.
A sweet deal for the comedian
The new show, which has yet to be named, is shaping up as a hybrid of cooking and stand-up. Quequé had already tried the format on the SER, but on public television he will get far greater exposure and a fixed salary. Those who defend the deal argue that the comedian is a magnet for indirect advertisers (RTVE carries no advertising, but it does have cultural sponsorships). Skeptics reply that it is just another cushy number, like the ones that have already tainted other collaborators of the government.
What no analysis has managed to explain is why, if audiences are responding, advertising is not brought back so that the cost does not fall on all Spaniards. The answer, as almost always, lies in politics.
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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 (33 replies).
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