Antón Reixa defends independent production in Santander

The president of Filmanova assures at the 50+4 Forum being held these days in Santander that independent production alleviates "costs" of public television and "guarantees creativity" and warns that the sector faces the "danger" of the repercussions that the economic crisis may bring, if there are "cuts in public television."

El director y productor independiente Antón Reixa ha lamentado este martes que, en la práctica, la relación entre el sector privado y la televisión pública esté “desplanificada”, cuando, a su modo de ver, la producción externa “garantiza la creatividad” y es capaz de ofrecer “productos competitivos a costes inferiores de los que se manejan en televisiones de cobertura estatal”.

For Reixa, “all public television stations have a labor problem,” because, from his point of view, they should only have a stable staff for their news programs. “The rest of the activity of a chain is in the realm of the intangible,” so it “cannot” be developed with a “official catalog,” he said.

This is where independent production could contribute "creativity" and "rationality" in spending, as stated by the president of Filmanova in a press conference held at the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP), on the occasion of his participation in the '50+4 Forum on Television Trends' Meeting. Challenges of public television service in the digital environment', and in which the director of the Cervantes Institute of Rome, Mario García de Castro, and the journalist and director of the meeting, Joan Álvarez, also participated.

Reixa defendió “la importancia” de “vertebrar un sector independiente de televisión”, puesto que, según indicó, “la democracia es más fuerte si existe una industria cultural”. Sin embargo, señaló que el sector se encuentra con el “peligro” de la repercusión que pueda acarrear la crisis económica, si se producen “recortes en las televisiones públicas”.

En este sentido, reivindicó que es “importantísimo que se preserve el esfuerzo en la televisión pública” y explicó que al igual que el Gobierno de la Nación estableció “primas para que la gente comprara coches” debería ofrecerlas también “para que la producción audiovisual continúe”, ya que “tiene un impacto en el empleo importantísimo”.

Expectativas TDT

In another vein, Reixa referred to the expectations that the arrival of DTT had created in the independent production sector and that, for the moment, have been curbed. Thus, he stated that "when the networks realize that they must offer specific programming" and not rebroadcasts of programs from their main channels, "it will be seen that independent production has a lot to say."

Likewise, this Galician producer highlighted the “importance” of public television, an “irreplaceable element” when it comes to offering “specific content” and covering some of the “needs” of citizens, which private channels “cannot address.”

Spanish, an ambassador abroad

For his part, García de Casas regretted that Spain is not leading “as it should” information in Spanish outside its borders. However, he trusted in the possibilities represented by the TVE International Channel and the 24 Hours Channel, which he defined as “cardinal pieces” of the new public service model, based on “seamless programming of excellence and quality,” that the RTVE Corporation is currently implementing.

Along the same lines, he warned that the International Channel “has great potential ahead” and insisted that, if it is provided with the resources it requires, “it will be able to carry out work comparable to that of the BBC” which, from his point of view, is “a guide to follow” because “it carries out important work of cultural diplomacy outside its own borders.”

Para el director del Instituto Cervantes de Roma, la apuesta por la programación cultural se tiene que ver “forzosamente reforzada” en las señales de emisión hacia el exterior que, según dijo, “siempre han estado cuestionadas y han sido objeto de polémica” cuando, sin embargo, “deberían aclarase y redefinirse”.

Likewise, he praised the role of the Spanish as “one of the great cultural ambassadors of Spain abroad.” “We have a language that is in great demand in European and American countries, which represents a great opportunity to take advantage of the crisis because it is in language, culture, cultural industries and talent where the added value is,” said García de Casas.