Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias (RTPA) is the public broadcaster of the Principality of Asturias, broadcasting both television and radio programs.
Media assets
Television: TPA7, TPA8, TPA9 HD
Radio: RPA
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
RTPA was established as a public limited company in 2014, and according to Law No. 8, the Principality of Asturias owns its entire capital stock.
The Board of Directors, the highest governing body in RTPA, comprises nine members, including the Director, who are elected by the General Assembly of the Principality of Asturias, the region’s parliament.
Source of funding and budget
RTPA is funded through a combination of state financing and commercially generated revenues. In 2020, the regional government allocated €20m to the RTPA, which accounted for almost the entire budget. According to the broadcaster’s annual report, in 2022, the RTPA received a state subsidy of €22.7m.
The following year, the corporation received a state subsidy worth €24.6m, according to a document from the government.
Editorial independence
There is no evidence of systematic editorial control by the government at RATP.
The RATP’s editorial independence is established through the law that created the company.
The law that established RATP also established systems for independent assessment and oversight. These include the News Council, an internal group made up of RATP professionals responsible for ensuring the editorial independence of the broadcaster’s journalists, and the Communication Council, a body of 11 members appointed by the parliament in Asturias. Its role is to inform RTPA’s management about public complaints and provide recommendations for improving RTPA’s programming.
August 2024