Mario Picazo began his television journey in Spain well before leaving Telecinco in 2014 after a long nineteen-year run. A familiar face to Spanish viewers, the meteorologist also appeared on TVE. He created and directed the program Extreme Climates, which blended travel, adventure, and scientific dissemination into a distinctive format.
At that moment, Picazo departed Telecinco’s weather desk to pursue challenging, extreme weather zones around the globe. The presenter set out to experience the most intense meteorological phenomena firsthand and to show how communities in these regions adapted to survive and thrive.
Extreme Climates ran for four episodes and was produced by Atmosphere, Picazo’s own production company, along with La Lupa Produccions and La Quimera Audiovisual, a company where Tinet Rubira once helped shape the creative direction before moving on to other ventures. Its four installments took viewers from Oklahoma in the United States, where tornado activity was explored, to the fog-drenched coastlines of Newfoundland, Canada, and then to some of the planet’s most extreme deserts: Oymyakon in Siberia and the Atacama Desert in Chile, highlighting a town that confronts one of the planet’s lowest temperatures.
The opportunity for Extreme Climates followed what could be called Picazo’s most significant moment at Telecinco. At the end of 2008, a contractual reorganization led to a renegotiation of his role. Paolo Vasile proposed outsourcing the weather service and offered new terms that Picazo initially found unsuitable, but a counteroffer from Florenci Rey, who then led weather information at Cuatro and Cadena SER, eventually aligned Picazo’s company with Mediaset’s needs.
That new business relationship allowed Picazo to remain head of meteorology at Telecinco while also collaborating with other networks. In 2012, Picazo created the Extreme Climates format through his production company, a move that met with resistance from some quarters, including TVE, which ultimately did not proceed with the project. In Turkey, the program aired late at night for a four-episode run, drawing about 1.2 million viewers and a share near 10 percent. The ratings, however modest, were not enough for the public network to renew the show or secure a sponsor.
On returning to the Fuencarral offices, Picazo prepared a second season of Extreme Climates for Cuatro, but executives again rejected the proposal. The series thus played a role in shaping Picazo’s career path and his relationship with Telecinco and other networks, underscoring the commercial and strategic challenges of bringing a high-concept science-and-travel program to different broadcasters.
Extreme Climates and the Telecinco departure
More than a year after its April 2013 debut on TVE, Cuatro introduced its own programming with a self-questioning tone. Picazo publicly criticized the program on social media, accusing it of plagiarism, an accusation that contributed to a loss of trust with Paolo Vasile. This friction helped precipitate a split and an exit that was completed in early 2014 when Telecinco reorganized its meteorology department. Mediaset España responded with a statement signaling that the meteorological team changes were internal and not personal, suggesting that Picazo had misunderstood the broader strategy of the network.
Contemporary reporting noted that Picazo’s contract with Telecinco had technically expired at the end of 2013, with a brief extension intended to give Mediaset time to assemble a new team and smooth the transition. Industry watchers had anticipated a tense relationship and eventual departure, predicting that the partnership would not endure the evolving media landscape.
Throughout his nineteen years at Telecinco, Picazo became one of the channel’s most enduring and beloved personalities. He remained a constant presence on screen, delivering weather updates while occasionally hosting entertainment formats such as Survivors or Clever, and collaborating in the early years with Ana Rosa’s program. His relationship with Telecinco reached a notable peak during this period, even as he turned down a Spanish Television offer to lead the meteorology department and suggested replacing Jose Antonio Maldonado, a position later filled by TV3’s Monica López.
Overall, the arc of Picazo’s career during these years showcased a meteorologist who balanced science communication with ambitious television ideas, navigating a shifting media ecosystem while continuing to shape how weather information is presented to audiences across major Spanish-language networks. This period remains a significant chapter in the broader story of climate and media in Spain, illustrating how on-screen meteorology can intersect with production challenges, network strategies, and audience expectations. (Source attribution: industry coverage and contemporary reports).