“Minimum services” in TG7 Granada after the termination of the contract with CBM

The municipal council has agreed to put out to tender a new contract that includes the subrogation of TG7 staff and reduces the monthly cost of the service provided.

Last Friday, the Local Government Board of the Granada City Council urgently approved the termination of the contract with Central Broadcaster Media (CBM, a subsidiary of the Secuoya group) through which it provided service to the local municipal channel TG7.

The council has agreed to put out to tender a new contract that includes the subrogation of TG7 staff and reduces the monthly cost of the service provided.

The contract that CBM held until now, and whose scheduled end date was set for November 6, included the production of information events and other special programs.

CBM will not participate in the new tender since it claims a debt from the Granada city council for “extraordinary” services provided that exceeds 450,000 euros. For its part, the municipal Government Board has approved paying this debt, "if the municipal intervention considers the expenses adjusted."

The mayor of Granada, José Torres Hurtado, of the Popular Party, acknowledged that the economic situation of municipal television is “a little overwhelmed,” which has forced the local government team to propose “a hiatus, not closure.” Until the resolution of the administrative process, local municipal television will maintain “minimum services.”

The Union of Journalists of Andalusia (SPA) has demanded through a statement another management model in the municipal television of Granada. In his opinion, the “catastrophic” management that has been revealed on the municipal television of Granada, TG7, “would deserve much more than the stoppage announced by the mayor of the city and should lead the municipal government of the Popular Party supported by Ciudadanos to “a deep reflection on the television model that is desired for the city.”

The union considers it "urgent" to convert municipal television into a media "at the service of citizens" and to do so it is "necessary to address the problem beyond a change of management ownership to another department, which is clearly insufficient."