An interview given to the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, on Spanish public television generated significant repercussion due to the far-right party's decision to influence the composition of the audience present during the recording.
The incident occurred on Monday during the program 'La Revuelta,' hosted by comedian David Broncano. An apology for this situation was issued the following Tuesday.
According to the publication El País, the next day's program began with a funeral march, a moment when the host expressed sadness, something he hadn't felt in some time. He admitted that he made a mistake by allowing Vox to choose the audience for the filming location in Madrid.
Broncano clarified that the party had requested this condition, fearing that the program's usual audience might protest against Abascal or prevent him from speaking. The comedian stated: 'Here, I made a tremendous mistake,' acknowledging that he had underestimated the influence of the nearly 400 people applauding the politician's remarks.
Furthermore, Broncano mentioned that he tried to maintain a more conventional tone in the interview, setting aside humor, but later admitted he was not prepared for such a format, which caused the program itself to lose part of its identity. The host even considered resigning out of respect for the team after the interview but returned on Tuesday to formalize the apology.
On Tuesday, the TVE Information Programs Council, an body analogous to an editorial board representing journalists, condemned the 'serious errors' committed on Monday with 'La Revuelta' and demanded accountability. José Pablo López, president of the governing board of the Spanish public radio and television RTVE, agreed that 'it was not the ideal stage' and that the result 'calls for reflection.'
In a statement, the TVE Information Programs Council classified both the alteration of the program's usual audience and the suppression of the humor and entertainment characteristic of 'La Revuelta' as 'serious errors.' For the journalists' representatives, the program transformed into an 'information space without the journalistic rigor it requires,' and someone at RTVE allowed the interview to be presented as 'serious,' causing great discomfort to the editorial staff.
The Council argued that interviews with politicians, especially during election periods, should be conducted by RTVE journalists and produced entirely by public television. The body emphasized in its statement, titled 'The importance of journalism and news programs appropriate for guaranteeing RTVE's public service,' that 'these conditions were not met. Therefore, we ask those who made these decisions to assume responsibility.'
RTVE president, José Pablo López, although he acknowledged that 'it certainly was not the ideal stage' and that it 'calls for reflection,' argued that it is simple to comment and judge 'a posteriori.' He added in a post on the social network X: 'Many will say that it was enough to tell them no. But at RTVE, we do not offer excuses to shout censorship nor do we create martyrs in a theater.'
José Pablo López also expressed support for the host and his team, after lamenting what Abascal said to Broncano at the end of the interview: 'I wish you luck because you will need it.' This phrase was interpreted as a threat to the host, in a context where polls indicated an absolute majority for the Popular Party and Vox in the elections, which would open up space for the far-right in the Spanish government.
Various political leaders and other voices also criticized the format of the interview with Abascal on public television. Despite the problems, Monday's 'La Revuelta' achieved a record average audience of 4.8 million viewers.
