The Albany Gazette - RTVE Evaluates Interviewers for Feijóo Amid PP's Own-Production Demand

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE is currently evaluating potential hosts for an upcoming electoral interview with People’s Party (PP) leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The selection process follows the PP’s firm requirement that any coverage of their candidate must be produced internally by RTVE staff, excluding external production companies.

The PP moved ahead of its political rivals to establish ground rules for the campaign period leading up to the general election on Sunday, October 29. While the party has agreed to a one-on-one debate with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at Mediaset on the first Monday of the campaign, October 16, and a four-way debate at Atresmedia on Thursday, October 26, its stance on RTVE is more restrictive.

The PP’s proposal, which remains subject to final agreement with the Socialist Party (PSOE), stipulates that Feijóo will only participate in an interview if it airs on a program produced by RTVE itself. The party argues this condition is necessary to highlight the work of public corporation employees. Consequently, formats produced by external firms are excluded.

This constraint eliminates several high-profile options. It rules out Jesús Cintora and Esther López Palomera, who interviewed Sánchez in 2023 on "Mañaneros 360," a program produced by La Cometa TV. It also excludes Gonzalo Miró’s "Malas lenguas," which is produced by Big Band Media.

Instead, RTVE is focusing on presenters from its own news divisions. Silvia Intxaurrondo, host of "La hora de la 1," is a primary candidate because her program falls under the Informativos department, satisfying the PP’s in-house production requirement. Intxaurró and Feijóo have a history of tense political exchanges, notably during the 2023 campaign regarding pension increases.

However, internal sources indicate that RTVE may lean toward Pepa Bueno, host of the second edition of Telediario (TD2). The TD2 format is considered more suitable for a 20-to-30-minute interview segment. This approach would reserve morning talk shows for other political formations, including smaller parties represented in Congress.

The situation remains complex regarding Vox leader Santiago Abascal. RTVE reportedly considers Intxaurrondo’s program better suited for the shorter, three-to-four-minute interviews required by law for minor parties. Unlike debates, where locations and times are negotiated, media outlets can propose interview formats without prior agreement with campaigns.

Debate logistics remain a separate point of contention. Mediaset has sent letters to both the PP and PSOE offices to finalize the terms of the one-on-one duel, including thematic blocks and who opens or closes the segment by lot. The PSOE has no preference for which private network hosts the debate but insists that the four-way confrontation involving Sánchez, Feijóo, Abascal, and Ada Colau must take place on public television.

The PP rejects this, refusing to have Feijóo debate at RTVE. Instead, they propose relegating the parliamentary spokespersons’ debate to the public broadcaster, where Ester Muñoz will represent the PP and Patxi López the PSOE. In past elections, the Spanish Television Academy has acted as an arbiter to organize debates and signal schedules to broadcasters.

With the campaign officially starting next Thursday at midnight, political teams are under pressure to finalize these arrangements. Campaign managers Miguel Tellado (PP) and Rebeca Torró (PSOE), along with cabinet directors Marta Varela and Diego Rubio, must reach agreements to ensure a structured media landscape before the polls open.

(M.Scott--TAG)