It’s a “collaboration arrangement” between two public broadcast networks. This is how RTVE responded to the controversy arising from the broadcast of Sanfermines running the bulls on ETB. ETB will broadcast the traditional annual event in Pamplona, Basque starting July 7. The decision caused some discomfort among the opposition parties in Congress.
The PP claimed that the agreement was unbalanced and lacking justification. However, its president Jose Manuel Perez Tornero defended the deal as not about any transfer or gift but rather about an “exchange” of content for a Basque channel, ETB1, which has a very low audience and distribution. Ana Maria Bordas (Director of Originals of RTVE) also presented this Thursday’s coverage of Sanfermines.
ETB gave RTVE the signal from the Fito and Fitipaldis historic concert in Bilbao’s San Mames on June 11. ETB also agreed to other television collaboration agreements for San Sebastian Film Festival.
Another agreement was also signed by public television to broadcast the running bulls on Navarra Television. However, it did not allow the transfer of rights other autonomous communities such as Telemadrid and Castilla-La Mancha Media who had expressed an interest in them. This traditional event attracts 70% of the audience every morning at 8 a.m.
RTVE will also use a new team for San Fermin’s return to Pamplona following the two-year absence due to the pandemic. This is in addition to Javier Solano’s retirement. He was the voice who narrated the running bulls for the public channels since 1982. Teo Lazaro Armendariz from San Sebastian will replace him. Julian Iantzi, Ana Prada and Ana Prada will join him for the special program, which will air shortly after 7 a.m. on La 1.