Farewell to José María Iñigo, television legend

The history of television in Spain is linked to José María Iñigo. He worked throughout his career in numerous media, although most of his professional career was linked to TVE where he was the face of public television in the 70s and 80s presenting mythical spaces such as 'Directísimo', 'Fantástico' or 'Estudio Abierto'.

José María Íñigo died this Saturday at the age of 75. The journalist and presenter, born in Bilbao in June 1942, worked throughout his career in numerous media, although most of his professional career was linked to TVE.

A television legend, his beginnings were on the radio, specifically on Radio Bilbao when he was only 15 years old, specializing in music programs. Iñigo was one of the creators of Los 40 Principales and presented reference musical spaces such as The Great Musical. On television, he was the face of TVE in the 70s and 80s with programs such as Ritmo 70, Hoy 14.15, Estudio Abierto, Directísimo, Fantastic, La gente quiere saber or Tonight, Party…

At EiTB he presented the program Iñigo Live ; on Telecinco Telecinco's mornings and Which side are you on? and on Antena 3, The Kangaroo.

He also made some foray into the world of cinema, with the help of Iván Zulueta as director of the film One two three, to the English hideout, also participating in films such as At 45 revolutions per minute, Naked Therapy or Laughing Dead.

In 2002 he returned to television after a few years of retirement from the small screen with Flo's Show (TVE) and in 2003 I live singing (Telecinco). A year later he hosted the entertainment program on La Primera Adjustment Letter.

José María Iñigo has been the commentator for TVE of the Eurovision Song Contest in its editions of Düsseldorf (2011), Baku (2012), Malmö (2013), Copenhagen (2014), Vienna (2015), Stockholm (2016) and Kiev (2017).

Recognized with the National Television Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Television Academy and an Ondas Award, he currently collaborates with It's not just any day (RNE) and Here the Earth and Peak hour (TVE).

The director and director of RTVE Fernando Navarrete, who next Tuesday will receive the Panorama Award for a Lifetime, has described José María Iñigo as "a great man, a loyal friend and the most complete communicator I have ever met". "Working with him always gave security and his mental agility and his northern ingenuity rewarded the fifty years of their friendship, which I have enjoyed whenever I could," he said.

"We can't get enough words to explain what a wonderful person he was, humble, funny and a great worker. The voice of Eurovision and the joy of the delegation. We adored him," the RTVE.es Eurovision team said on Twitter. The head of the RTVE delegation of the festival, Ana María Bordas, has expressed her sadness at the death of the beloved journalist.