Radio Television Ceuta (RTVCE)

Radio Televisión Ceuta (RTVCE) is the public broadcaster that provides coverage for the autonomous city of Ceuta. It was established in 2000 and operates both television and radio services.

Media assets

Television: TV Ceuta

Radio: Radio Ceuta

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

RTVCE is a public entity that falls directly under the authority of the local government of Ceuta. Information on the broadcaster’s internal administrative rules remains limited. According to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report, the highest governing body at RTVCE is its Board of Directors, whose members are appointed by the local authorities. This governance structure has been repeatedly criticized for lacking safeguards to ensure genuine editorial independence.

Source of funding and budget

The broadcaster is entirely financed by the local government of Ceuta. In 2021, RTVCE received €2.7 million, while in 2022 its budget increased to €3.05 million.

Editorial independence

Historically, there was no clear evidence of systematic editorial interference at RTVCE. However, interviews conducted for this report with local journalists in Ceuta between April and May 2024 revealed growing concerns that the broadcaster does not allow criticism of the authorities. The perception among staff and observers is that the government exercises significant influence over the editorial agenda, limiting critical coverage of political decision-making in the city.

The appointment of Gonzalo Testa as the new head of RTVCE in July 2024 marked a turning point. His nomination was met with sharp criticism from both the political opposition, notably the Vox party, and local journalists. Media reports suggested that Testa’s appointment was driven primarily by political loyalty to Ceuta Ya!, a left-wing party, rather than by professional credentials. Since taking office, Testa has overseen managerial restructuring, but these changes have not been accompanied by clear guarantees of editorial autonomy.

In light of these developments, RTVCE was reclassified in 2024 from the Independent State-Funded and State-Managed/Owned (ISFM) category to the State-Controlled (SC) category in our State Media Matrix typology. This change reflected the documented political influence in governance and the absence of any independent mechanism to safeguard editorial standards. However, a content analysis conducted by the Media and Journalism Research Center in March–April 2025 found no evidence of pro-government bias in RTVCE’s coverage, and local journalists interviewed for this report did not confirm the existence of such bias. As a result, the outlet was moved back to the Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM) category, marking an improvement.

August 2025