After months of negotiation among ministries and key sector players, Spain’s Council of Ministers reached a formal conclusion last December on the long‑disputed Audiovisual Communications Law. The new framework, intended to reorganize how public RTVE is financed, drew strong reactions from operators who had hoped the reform would remove the so‑called RTVE rate. In practice, the law’s full effects won’t take effect until 2023, and operators will continue their payments in the current year while the broader policy landscape is settled.
Telecommunications firms criticized the timing of the financing reform and noted that they will still contribute roughly €140 million in the current year. They had anticipated a shift that would end the RTVE levy for operators, arguing that the law should be implemented swiftly to relieve industry cash flow. As a result, many in the sector expected the law to pass quickly in Parliament, making the rate disappear this year. Yet that outcome remains uncertain, and the industry awaits concrete changes.
Parliament has moved forward with the law without amendments so far, and there appears to be little likelihood of significant changes in the Senate. Various industry sources acknowledge that operators will have to continue funding RTVE this year, despite hopes that the reform would usher in a more favorable arrangement. Some anticipate a potential legal challenge, though such action has not yet materialized, and the prevailing view is that the current statutory framework will remain in force through the year ahead. (Source: Industry briefings and parliamentary records.)
Operators had expected the new financing model to reduce annual contributions by between €130 million and €150 million, reflecting the long‑standing obligation borne by telecoms for RTVE’s operations. Over more than ten years, the sector has paid well over €1.5 billion toward RTVE’s financing. The anticipated reforms would reallocate or reduce these costs, while still sustaining RTVE’s public broadcasting mission. The immediate effect, however, is a transitional period in which operators continue to fund the system as the broader fiscal and digital‑transition policies unfold. (Source: sector analyses and regulatory filings.)
Looking ahead, lawmakers are considering a longer timetable that could push the full financing model into 2023. Under the emerging plan, major telecom players would be exempt from ongoing operator payments, while still supporting the ownership and operation of their own video platforms. In this context, providers such as Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video would be subject to separate regulatory obligations tied to audiovisual platform contributions. (Source: regulatory discussions and industry statements.)
Industry representatives explain that operators anticipated additional fiscal easing would be available at a moment when sector finances were tight and demand was shifting in a deflationary market. They acknowledge the current reality and see a small but meaningful step toward reform: the expectation that other audiovisual participants who have yet to contribute will begin doing so, gradually, this year. Still, extending this small step over time remains the preferred outcome for the sector as it navigates a challenging economic environment. (Source: operator briefings and financial analyses.)
The employers’ association, which groups major players such as Telefónica, Vodafone, and Orange, has pressed the government to honor its commitments. It seeks a clear reform trajectory aligned with a future General Audiovisual Communications Act, one that would halt the RTVE levy for telecoms at once. DigitalES, the Spanish Association for Digitization, has warned that ongoing payments could hinder the deployment of fiber and 5G networks. The industry argues that timely reform is essential to sustaining digital‑infrastructure investment while preserving RTVE’s public service remit. (Source: statements from industry groups and policy recommendations.)
Even the National Markets and Competition Commission has weighed in, noting operator complaints that the levy does not correspond to any immediate benefits. The CNMC underscores that the payment is not linked to the termination of advertising on RTVE and questions the efficiency of continuing charges without a direct, measurable return. (Source: CNMC briefings and public statements.)