Control mechanisms for public television in Spain: the fulfilment of CRTVE's public service programme obligations

Abstract

The creation and definition of the programming premises of public television has historically been a difficult issue for the competent television authorities. However, the construction and implementation of control mechanisms capable of determining and supervising the contents and values that should regulate the programming principles of a public service television has become an unresolved issue.

Consequently, several questions therefore arise: how are the short- and medium-term programming guidelines for public television determined, is the fulfilment of public service obligations in television programming actually regulated, and what kind of diagnosis is public programming subjected to?

The aim of this research is to establish an analysis of the different instruments that define the guidelines for public service programming content in Spain, specifically in the Spanish Broadcasting Corporation. It also examines the role of the National Commission for Markets and Competition, the autonomous state regulatory authority for public and private television in Spain. In short, the aim is to diagnose the degree of control of compliance and supervision of public service programming by the Spanish public television broadcaster.