Advanced Television

Spain's RTVE reshuffles to cut costs

June 4, 2010

From David Del Valle in Madrid

In a move to reduce costs, state-owned group RTVE is revamping its TV line-up, turning its second terrestrial channel, La 2, into a cultural channel and closing down Canal Cultural, whose entire content will be distributed by La 2 from September.

RTVE plans to save E7 million this year. La 2, with an average audience share of 3.3 per cent in May, will now be focused on “offering the diverse Spanish culture and promoting social integration”, according to the group.

The reshuffle will also have an impact on the prime channel La 1 (TVE1), the most popular channel in Spain, as it will strengthen its generalist offer. Other of RTVE’s DTT channels such as Teledeporte will also be affected, as it will offer new sport content from La 2.

La 1 (TVE1) remains the favourite channel amongst Spaniards with an audience share of 15.7 per cent in May, ahead of Mediaset-controlled Tele 5, with 14.7 per cent, Antena 3 with 11.5 per cent, La Sexta, with 7.7 per cent and Cuatro, 6.5 per cent, all of them nation wide channels.

Regional channels grouped together in FORTA achieved an audience share of 11 per cent. Football and Euro song contest Eurovision were the most widely watched programmes drawing this latter content more than seven million viewers.

In the meantime, La Sexta has announced its first profits in its history with the aim of becoming the number on in commercial target over the next years. “In three years we aim to become a leading operator in the commercial target and have a significant presence,” said Jose Miguel Contreras, CEO of La Sexta.

Since January, La Sexta had advertising revenues of over E120 million with revenues growing by 50 per cent and with the number of advertisers increasing by eight per cent, according to the company.

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