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Television.

Almost 89 per cent of Spaniards over 14 years of age have declared that they watch television every day. 5,3 per cent affirm that they watch videos every day, which explains why, at present, the use of video movies is increasing at the expense of movie theatres. Television began to operate as a regular service in Spain in 1956. From the moment of its inception, it was considered a state public service and was subjected to, as were all the other media, strict control by the regime. In 1965, a second television channel began to function, which also belonged to RADIO TELEVISIÓN ESPAÑOLA, (RTVE).

The present structure of the public television system dates from 1980, the date of the promulgation of the Radio and Television Statute, which established diverse groups for control of the medium on behalf of Parliament. An Administrative Council was created at that time, directly designated by the Congress and the Senate as well as the Parliamentary Control Commisssion for RTVE.

After thirty years in existence, Spanish television is going through a stage of profound transformation. The impact of new technology, above all of cable and satellite television, and the variation in ideological concepts, that have affected the history of television in all Europe, is inaugurating a completely new period.

     
          -------------------------------
          Television audience in Spain
          (thousands of viewers)
          Channels             Oct.Nov.94
          -------------------------------
          TVE 1                    16,353
          ANTENA 3 TV              15,013
          Tele 5                    9,980
          LA 2                      5,996
          TV3                       2,692
          Canal Sur                 2,133
          CANAL PLUS                2,000
          TELEMADRID                1,349
          CANAL 9                   1,170
          CANAL 33                    555
          TVG                         736
          ETB 2                       695
          Foreign TV stations         230
          Municipal TV stations       211         
          ETB 1                       185
          -------------------------------
          TOTAL AUDIENCE           29,155
          -------------------------------
          The figures refer to a total of
          32,000,000 viewers over 14 
          years of age, living in Spanish
          territory.
          -------------------------------

The Spanish television system has appreciably varied during the last few years with the disappearance of the public monopoly on television and the appearance of three new private channels, once the law presented to Parliament by the PSOE government goes into effect. Up to the present, two national networks and nine regional ones have existed, all of them public entity RTVE, run by a general director desginated by the Government. The Administrative Council is entrusted with controling the RTVE and, in particular the fulfillment of its statute. The regional channels depend on the Autonomous Communities' governments and have control mechanisms similar to those of RTVE.

The RTVE's two channels are called TVE 1 and TVE 2. The first is directed to a general public, offering uninterrupted programming from early morning to late night and has the largest audience, despite the intense competition registered since private television appeared. TVE 2 has a flexible programming, which lends special attention to sports broadcasts and live broadcast of important cultural events. Its television coverage and its audience have grown considerably over the last few years reaching, in 1994, an audience of almost 6 million viewers. Both channels are financed by publicity and their income also allows them to defray the costs of public state radio.

In Catalunya there are two autonomic channels, TV3 and CANAL 33, both broadcasting exclusively in the Catalan language.

The Basque Country has two territorial chanels, ETB 1 and ETB 2, which form part of the EUSKAL TELEBISTA dependent on the autonomous Basque Government. ETB 1 broadcasts in the Basque language and ETB 2 in Spanish.

TVG is the autonomous channel of Galicia, also dependent on the Government of this Community. It broadcast in the Galician language and it is viewed by 700,000 people.

Other regional channels have also started to broadcast, for example: CANAL SUR in Andalucia with 2.1 million viewers in 1993, TV MADRID with 1.2 million viewers and CANAL 9, in Valencia which boasts 1.2 million spectators.

The different regional stations are coordinated through FORTA, (Federation of Autonomic Radio and Television Entities). This federation makes joint purchases of international programs, co-produces programs and has acquired the rights to retransmit the games of the Spanish Football League.

Private TV networks began to be launched in 1990. ANTENA 3 was the first channel to operate, followed by TELE 5, and finally by CANAL PLUS in 1990.

More recently, the Spanish satellite system (HISPASAT 1A and 1B) also supplies a new offer via satellite for TV and radio broadcasting. For more information about HISPASAT, please click here. You may also find out additional information about RETEVISION as the Spanish Telecommunications Operator of Television and Radio Signals, clicking here.

Spanish viewers preferences hardly differ from those of other Western European countries. Sports, live game shows, movies and films made for television, both local and foreign, the latter are essentially North American or Latin American, dominate prime time hours which, attract the largest audiences.

Spanish Television Stations on the Web

The following is a list of links to Spanish television stations. More will be added as the stations provide us their URL's.

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