Team takes on old problems at RTVE
Estremera's team inheriting debt, sliding market share
TVE has a new exec team -- Pablo Carrasco as channel and content head , Javier Martin Dominguez as secretary general and chef de cabinet, Salvador Augustin as director of programming.
Together they'll be addressing RTVE's old problems -- staggering deficits of E600 million ($775 million) a year, spiraling debt of $9.7 billion and sliding market share. Pubaster channels TVE1 and La2 notched up 31% in 2003 and 28% last year.
The pubcaster is in a no-win situation. If shows grab ratings, it's accused of selling out to commercial interests. If they don't win ratings, then RTVE's accused of failing Spaniards.
RTVE's new management can certainly call on experience to square the circle.
Perez Estremera directed the San Sebastian Festival and the ICAA, Spain's biggest film subsidy fund. Carrasco fired up ratings at Canal Sur, Spain's biggest regional pubcaster. An award-winning journalist and producer, Martin Dominguez led the international rollout of TVE's cable channels. Augustin was a respected longtime Spanish film buyer at TVE.
On the plus side, Spain's ruling socialist party is mulling a report that recommends it assumes RTVE debt and hikes the current paltry subsidies to 50% of its budget.
On other fronts, RTVE's biting bullets. Some star bows -- late night yakker "La Azotea de Wyoming" -- have tanked and been yanked.
So RTVE is caught in a quandary.
It could rush new shows into production or, given Spain's 2004/05 season withers with spring sunshine, look for muscular stopgaps, such as Hollywood movies, saving its production powder for next season.
"I want a public television with public," says Carrasco.
However, RTVE remains cash-strapped.
It's just passed on a fourth season of Endemol's song talent reality "Operacion Triunfo" (Fame Academy).
Carrasco's immediate bets are a Spanish re-version of the Plural-produced Univision drama "Al filo de la ley" (At the Edge of the Law) bowing April 1; and stripper-by-night, nanny-by-day comedy "Ana and the 7," which returned Feb. 28 to solid 26% shares.
But movies will be moving up RTVE's shopping list at next month's Mip TV mart in Cannes.
RTVE is also drawing a road map through La2, its second, culture channel.
Perez-Estremera has carried a candle for La2, since directing cult movie magazine "Fila 7" in the '80s. RTVE's demos traditionally skew old and rural. He's slanting La2 younger and hipper.
One demo crunch is deciding whether to sked U.S. hits "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" on La2.
Economically, the mid-term looks mixed.
"The government may well assume RTVE's net debt, but finance minister Pedro Solbes may ask for cost cuts in return for a 50% of budget state subsidy," says Enrique Jimenez of Ibersecurities.
