Miguel Tellado appeared in a tense interview on Tuesday morning, April 2, saying it is time for a change. He accused Pedro Sánchez the PP spokesman in Congress of occupying state institutions and immediately pointed to the appointment of Concepción Cascajosa as interim president of RTVE following Elena Sánchezs dismissal.
He asserted that the government had proposed a new interim leader for the public company the previous week, claiming the move reflected militant PSOE influence. He expressed concern that the appointment might undermine the credibility of public media in the country, and he stated his hope that it would not harm the standing of the newsroom.
Shortly after, Marc Sala assessed his guest’s remarks by noting that it is usually council members who nominate the current president and that members of parliament appointed by political parties at the time in Congress and the Senate also influence the process. He added that he even knew what was said about the present head of RTVE.
Tellado responded that the audience should understand his position. He described the appointment as troubling and said it reflected bad news for professionals who perform their duties in public media. He added that it is an insult to the audience and to honest professionals alike.
Intxaurrondo to Tellado Why did you change your mind
Silvia Intxaurrondo emphasized that Cascajosa has a solid professional background and continued to highlight several achievements under Tellado’s supervision. She noted that Cascajosa is a journalism graduate with an outstanding record, a distinguished doctor, a tenured university professor, a department head, an associate dean, a graduate director, and a member of the RTVE Board. She also mentioned Cascajosa as an artist who has chaired the RTVE Equality Observatory for three years and who has published multiple books on audio media.
The presenter pressed further and reminded viewers that in parliament Tellado had stated he was a socialist activist in 2021. She recalled that the Senate appointment committee, also chaired by the PP, deemed her candidacy suitable, and on March 24 of that year the Senate, with broad support, appointed her to the RTVE Board. Intxaurrondo asked why he had changed his stance.
Tellado replied that he was glad Intxaurrondo was satisfied with the appointment. He offered his own data and suggested that anything beyond that was speculative. He contended that the appointment was not based on the candidates CV alone but rather on political militancy and that the head of RTVE would likely politicize content, particularly in news. He argued that a political appointment to oversee RTVE raises questions about professional impartiality.
Intxaurrondo pressed back insisting that the PP had voted in favor. Tellado responded that the PSOE was the party responsible for appointing the interim president with the goal of politicizing and controlling RTVE. She countered by saying that those who want to be controlled are present. She described this as bad news and expressed sympathy for the sentiment.
Tellado clarified that he did not celebrate the situation and that Intxaurrondo challenged him again by suggesting he appeared to celebrate the resume of the new interim president. He asserted that Pedro Sánchez did not name anyone simply based on a resume.
Intxaurrondo pressed once more asking why the PP voted for the interim president en masse if they knew he had identified as a socialist activist. Tellado attempted to answer but could not provide a clearer response. The journalist concluded by noting that their program remains a leading current affairs show in that segment and that viewers would judge the implications for RTVE.