Corporacio Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA)
The Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation (CCMA) is a public broadcasting company that serves the Catalonia region. It includes the Televisió de Catalunya channels and the Catalunya Ràdio chain of stations. CCMA also holds a minority stake in the Catalan News Agency (ACN).
Media assets
Television: TV3 (HD), 33/Super3, 3/24, Esport3, TV3CAT
Radio: Catalunya Ràdio, Catalunya Música, Catalunya Informació, iCat fm
News agency: Catalan News Agency (ACN)
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
CCMA was established as a public enterprise subordinated to the Generalitat de Catalunya through Law No. 11 of 2007. This continues to underpin its legal foundation.
The main governing bodies at CCMA are the Governing Council and the corporation’s President. The Governing Council comprises seven members appointed by the Parliament of Catalonia following a suitability report from the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (CAC), with the President elected from among those seven by Parliament. There is also a dedicated Parliamentary Control Committee overseeing CCMA and its subsidiaries.
As of the most recent data, Rosa Romà i Monfà serves as President of the Governing Council, a role she has held since 9 March 2022. Additional key leadership roles include Rosa Cullell i Muniesa as director‑general, Jaume Peral i Juanola as director of TVC (Televisió de Catalunya), and Saül Gordillo i Bernàrdez as director of Catalunya Ràdio.
Source of funding and budget
CCMA is primarily funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya, with some income generated through commercial activities by its subsidiaries.
In 2022, the CCMA received a state subsidy from the Catalonian government of over €248m, representing over three-quarters of the station’s budget. Advertising is the second-largest source of funding for the CCMA. The funding is approved periodically based on a program contract between the CCMA and the Generalitat. In 2022, the CCMA generated approximately €47.5m from ad sales, a 2% decline compared to the previous year.
In 2023, the CCMA had a total budget of €383m, some €308m of which was accounted for by subsidies from various state bodies.
Editorial independence
CCMA’s framework statute identifies editorial independence as one of the core values and guiding principles of the broadcaster’s work.
To safeguard this, the corporation has established mechanisms to evaluate and monitor editorial independence. One such mechanism is the Audience Advocate, tasked with protecting the rights of viewers, listeners, and users of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalunya Ràdio, and CCMA’s digital platforms. The Advocate receives public inquiries, suggestions, and complaints concerning the accuracy, thoroughness, diversity, and fairness of CCMA’s content, which are then addressed by the broadcaster’s management.
CCMA also maintains a Content and Programming Advisory Board that supports the Governing Council and the President in assessing programming strategies and services. This body is composed of 16 members, all elected by the Catalan Parliament.
Despite these safeguards, CCMA has often been the target of criticism from authorities and politicians, who argue that the Catalan government exerts undue influence over its editorial coverage. Earlier academic analyses, however, found no evidence of systematic control, suggesting a generally satisfactory level of editorial independence.
More recent research, however, points to a different trend. Evidence suggests that censorship has increased within CCMA, with the government consolidating influence over its editorial agenda. In 2021, TV3 reporter Santiago Torres publicly accused CCMA of political interference and became the first journalist in Spain to invoke the so-called “conscience clause,” a legal provision allowing journalists to resign in order to protect their professional integrity and independence. Independent observers continue to criticize CCMA for perceived bias and the misuse of public funds.
In light of these developments, CCMA was downgraded to the “State-Controlled” category in our State Media Matrix in 2024.
August 2025