Radiotelevisión de la Región de Murcia (RTRM) is the public broadcaster in the Region of Murcia. It operates the Onda Regional de Murcia radio service and the 7TV Region de Murcia television channel.
Media assets
Television: La 7 RM (HD)
Radio: Onda Regional de Murcia, ORM Música
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
RTRM was established through Law No. 9 of 2004 and amended twice, in 2012 and 2015. It is a state-owned corporation. Starting in 2015, the television service of RTRM has been operated by a privately owned company called Central Broadcaster Media. This company won a public tender organized by the regional government to outsource the operation of TV7.
The Board of Directors at RTRM is the highest governing structure, consisting of nine members appointed by the regional parliament of Murcia. The Board of Directors also appoints the Director General.
Source of funding and budget
Most of the funding for operating RTRM comes from the government of the Murcia region. In 2020, the government allocated €20.5m for the operation of the RTRM. Out of this amount, €5m was allocated to the radio broadcaster and €15.5m to the private company that operates the RTRM’s television channel as part of an outsourcing deal concluded in 2015 by the regional government.
According to an annual report, in 2023, the regional government allocated €5.7m to RTRM, mainly to run the broadcaster’s radio business.
Editorial independence
There is no evidence of systematic editorial control exerted by the government at RTRM.
The RTRM’s editorial independence is guaranteed through the Program Agreement signed between the Murcia government and RTRM. The most recent agreement was signed in January 2020.
There is no independent mechanism of assessment or oversight to validate the RTRM’s editorial independence.
August 2024