¡Hay movimiento! Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE is finally addressing Eurovision after Blas Cantó’s disappointing 24th place in Rotterdam this year. The broadcaster’s new Executive President José Manuel Pérez Tornero has spoken about the contest for the first time.
RTVE’s Executive President speaks out about Eurovision
In a press meeting reported by Yotele, Pérez Tornero explained: “We’re going to take Eurovision very seriously”. “We are the only public television [broadcaster] in Spain which is a part of the EBU and we’re interested in the event”, he further added.
Pérez Tornero also showed interest in keeping “contact with young people in their European context”. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the high interest coming from young viewers.
Eurovision 2021, for example, was particularly popular among the age group of 15-24, whose viewing share reached 52.8%. This was significantly higher than the general audience, whose share reached 40.5%.
Changes to Spain’s Eurovision delegation still possible
Pérez Tornero was elected to the role of RTVE’s Executive President at the end of March. Only two months later, and he’s already bid to be a part of the EBU’s Executive Board and has proposed a number of changes to the corporation.
These changes began last week. Last Wednesday, Pérez Tornero started restructuring the corporation’s highest levels. None of this currently affects the positions of those in charge of Eurovision (Head of Delegation and Head of Entertainment), but these could potentially be modified at a later date.
Fans paid particular attention to two new names. Firstly, there was a new Directorate for Education, Diversity, Culture and International Affairs, led by Ignacio Elguero. Diversity, Culture and International Affairs? You can’t get more Eurovision than that!
In addition, the new Content Director is Amalia Martínez de Velasco, who has previously worked in a number of private corporations related to communication.
As reported by Bluper, Martínez de Velasco – who has not yet started the job – has the Executive President’s full support to modify the personnel in RTVE’s entertainment section as she sees fit, with Pérez Tornero noting: “Me and my team are fully confident about her and she can make any changes she considers appropriate”.
This could include a change to RTVE’s Head of Entertainment, which is currently Toñi Prieto. Although Pérez Tornero does not plan to remove Prieto himself, since his restructuring was done at a more senior level, he does not rule out that Martínez de Velasco might decide to change things: “When the new manager analyses the situation, anything can happen: they may or may not remain. We will know in the near future.”
Europa Press also reports that the changes will be “gradual” but “profound”. A “renewed RTVE” is coming in September, after the summer period and the Olympics.
Bluper previously noted that both Spain’s Eurovision Head of Delegation, Ana María Bordás, and RTVE’s Head of Entertainment, Toñi Prieto, could potentially be leaving their jobs through the restructuring at the broadcaster.
Bordás joined the Spanish delegation in 2017, after the abrupt exit of Federico Llano following the heavy Eurodrama at Objetivo Eurovisión that year. She was supposed to handle the job temporarily, yet problems with RTVE’s renewal of direction have delayed her exit.
Despite the poor placings at Eurovision, Bordás has managed to bring Spain back to Junior Eurovision, where the country has achieved two top three results. She’s also recently been appointed to the EBU’s Television Committee.
Prieto, on the other hand, is usually signalled by Eurovision fans as the main problem within Spain’s delegation and RTVE’s inability to climb the scoreboard at Eurovision.
Are you excited for the changes at RTVE? Will Spain do well again at Eurovision, or do you fear it will not work? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
I thought this was a photo of Fauci lol
I think this is a disrespect for Blas. Blas took Eurovision seriously, when he decided to sing a very personal song. I also liked his last year’s entry. So we cannot say that they did not take Eurovision seriously.
LMAO yes every year the same stuff… they need a miracle or someone who genuinely takes it seriously like the head of delegation in France.
I just Do not understand how can artist pass on the oportunity of representing Spain at the eurovision, it’s the biggest musical platform in the world for heavens sake! I think we need our Amir / Anouk moment, sending a well respected artist with a great song that proves eurovision is about musical quality and nothing else. Look, I wholeheartedly respect every single artist that has tried to represent us but the last time I felt proud of Spain was in 2014 maybe? Do you know how sad is to be excited by France, Italy and Portugal and never get… Read more »
So, until now they didn’t take it seriously, we get it. Ok, so no more 25th place, they’ll improve by ending on 24th…
Spanish is a beautiful language with a global appeal! Latin American acts are having immense worldwide success right now! RTVE should take notes!
I was thinking exactly the same. Many years now I’m wondering why they don’t try at least one to send a Latin American genre. It would probably be a bop
Btw I consider Spanish as the most beautiful language but with these songs they send they can’t show it
I don’t think Blas Canto deserved that low place! Arguably the staging was uninspired and needed more than a giant moon but the song wasn’t that bad. I think he should have ended up between 15th-20th
Am I the only one who thinks they blew the budget on the moon balloon in 2020 for Universo and decided to recycle that staging for a VAQ in 2021?
also if they end up selecting cristina ramos ugh, she would be a great pick 7 years ago not now. we need an artist and not a vocalist, hope people at RTVE now that + she is hardly appealing to younger audience
I hope it will be Lola Indigo, makes sense the most. She wants to do it, is very popular and she also participated at OT so she has connection with RTVE
it ain’t that hard, just look at the spanish charts and see what sounds are doing well, select a capable performer with a cool, appealing, outstanding (in a non-embarrassing way) song, and wallah the work is done. spain is full of artists who can bring spain to the top ten every year…
right? why are these big countries such as Spain, Germany and the UK pretending that they have a hard job, when they literally have a myriad of aritsts that could get them top 10… ugh..
I don’t think that kind of artist are willing to go to Eurovision in Spain.
Well, not necessarily…
That example doesn’t apply well to Russia for example, if they look at the charts and try to send an ESC entry out of it they would be less succesful at ESC. Same applies to lots of countries. Also many ESC winners weren’t stablished names in their countries.
I think RTVE has to find a song (and they can get really good ones, check out both OT Eurovision Galas), then pair it with the perfect singer, then make a staging. If they earn a good position, they can be appealing to more famous people, and so on.
for the big five (excluding Italy because they already have the Sanremo), I only have three (or maybe four) words to advise them: slick (televised) national selection. but, since Spain is a bit too small to have a touring selection, I just expect one big final night, consisting of 8, 10 or 12 songs, held in a big venue (Palacio Vistalegre or Wizink Center), produced as slick as possible, a la Eurovision/Melodifestival. and of course, 50-50 juries-televoters voting, basically similar to Melodifestival from 2011 to 2018.
Unreal. Melfest is already big and has a lot of tradition. Something like that wouldn’t work for spain.
It becomes a tradition because SVT keeps doing it every year, regardless of their Eurovision results. that’s something most of the big five don’t consistently do. look at Italy with their Sanremo show. no matter what happens, they always keep it going. if RTVE is consistent for their national selection, getting slicker and slicker year by year, I am sure it will work also.
They just a sent a singer singing about his grandmother dying of Covid19. Not sure how much more serious they can be.
Yikes
my post-ESC statements bingo card is almost fulfilled. has San Marino already said they might withdraw next year?
I read somewhere San Marino is gonna come back with a National Final in November
They won’t withdraw since the contest will be in Italy, alongside other reasons (I think Senhit funded a lot of Adrenalina so SMRTV didn’t lose a lot of money).
Eh, they already confirmed they will take part.
well if they wanna go serious and win there are only two words:
Lola Indigo.
Way to go Spain!
Wiwi, you need to direct this post to the BBC !!! Bring them out of ESC hibernation!
Focusing on the younger audience is SO important! If they’re doing an internal selection they need younger juries to choose the song, young songwriters, young artistic directors and most importantly… young artists to represent Spain.
I would love to see Aitana, Lola Indigo or Bad Gyal in Italy.
C. Tangana has also said he wants to go to Eurovision next year, so that’s cool too
well just select him and there you have it.
C. Tangana is amazing! Europe reacted well to Mahmood so i’m sure they’d like him
The only thing they need to do is send a current latin song like you hear in the spotify worldwide top 50. More than a good song, charismatic artist with typical spanish sound is literally not needed since latin has been hot for years.
I almost feel like there is a larger chance of the netherlands sending a latin song with somebody like Ralf Sanchez (combining spanish and dutch is hot right now in the Netherlands) than Spain itself xD
There’s a big difference between music from Spain and music from Latin America. I think that this should not be the way to go for Spain; the risk that it will feel too contrived is pretty big. Spain has great music itself, it should not rely on latin music just because it’s a commercial success.
that’s great but now we need rté in ireland to fully commit to eurovision. i’d probably compare spain to ireland when it comes to the last maybe 10 years at eurovision and change is badly needed
Even Ireland’s made it into the top twenty at least once since 2014.
This is more blunt a statement than just “yeah, well, there might be some things worth addressing” – no, this is an outright “we’ve gotta take this seriously or nothing will change,” which is a start. But talk is cheap. Let’s see what happens in 2022.
The thing is, we can identify which countries specifically need serious reform: Ireland, the UK, Spain, and Germany. Not every other broadcaster is perfect (some seem OK but local fans lament quite frequently – Slovenia, Serbia, and Poland in particular) but those are the ones that most desperately need to change.
Broadcasters that can fundamentally keep doing what they’re doing: Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine
I disagree with Albania and Sweden
If Albania wants to place any higher than their usual 21th to 17th spot in final, they should consider some changes to their national final
Also Sweden should start shaking things up and send something different
exactly.. Albania will never get top 3 (or even top 10 dor a while) with this nf.
Also Latvia, Supernova does not work anymore as it used to do a few years ago…
It doesn’t make me angry, but it saddens me, to hear the same kind of thing every year. As much as I would love to believe him, facts speak louder than words. A great start could be finally firing Miss Toñi Prieto, we’ve had enough of her (I know he said he wouldn’t do it himself, but I hope she will eventually be replaced)
I’d love to see Madrid/Barcelona/Valencia/Seville etc host Eurovision at some point. With the success of faux-Spanish entries from Cyprus, I’m genuinely surprised Spain haven’t yet taken advantage of particular music styles.
RTVE sounds like the Spanish RTÉ though, so being Irish I can totally relate with the Spanish people calling for better Eurovision participation.
Valencia will open a bomb new concert venue somewhere in the next 2 years so Valencia 2023 would be great.
It’s a beautiful city too! Could imagine the city of arts and science hosting a Eurovision red carpet.
After the great moment of Ruth Lorenzo, it’s kind of an achievement in itself to NOT even reach the top 20 in 7 years. Blows my mind. I hope their fortunes will turn
The United Kingdom hasn’t reached the top ten since 2009! It’s time for change
Press X to doubt
Just send Rosalia
She would slay. Tho, it’s very unlikely. :/
I think they asked her a few years ago and she said no so i don’t think that’s very likely to happen, unfortunately
It was César Vallejo, the guy who was in charge of the online preselection in 2017, who said they contacted Rosalía when she wasn’t big.
my thoughts exactly
Rosalia would never… she’s currently the biggest female star in the Latinx world.
karol g outsold and outstreamed
no need to send someone already known lmao, y’all always miss the point. måneskin were unknown outside of italy. heck mahmood was completely unknown in italy before sanremo… let rosalía hang out with her kardashian friends in los angeles and send any of the many capable spanish artists who deserve exposure.