The federations and associations of the sector accuse RTVE of hindering the progress of Spanish animation

Stupor among the federations and associations representing the sector, which denounce the public broadcaster's lack of interest in children's animated content and its impact on blocking the development of the national industry.

In the opinion of the animation industry, despite the declaration of intentions expressed by José Pablo López and María Eizaguirre in January of this year to “become the driving force of the audiovisual industry”, the announcement made yesterday by the public entity within the framework of the Annecy International Festival demonstrates that, far from being the driving force, RTVE has become an obstacle for the Spanish animation sector.

Representatives of the public channel announced yesterday, more than six months late than the scheduled date, the resolution of the call for animation series through which RTVE acquires new national works for its children's channel Clan. The announcement has caused greater impact, if possible, as it occurred within the framework of MIFA, the world's largest animation market, where Spanish producers, despite being the second delegation with the largest presence in the world after France, have suddenly seen their options to close international co-production agreements blocked.

Pocoyo (season 6), Superthings (seasons 3 and 4) and the first season of Anton Piñón They are the only three projects selected in the call. Unlike previous editions, RTVE has opted for a single newly created property, with which the total of new series supported in 2024 amounts to three compared to the seven supported in 2023. This reduction in newly created projects adds to other difficulties already reported historically by the producer federations, such as the meager financial allocations assigned per project, the slowness in resolutions and negotiations, and the abusive clauses in the contracts, which represent a comparative insult for national producers who go out to compete under unequal conditions in international markets.

For sector associations, RTVE navigates in the opposite direction to the trend shown by public television of the European environment. This has been evident in the panel organized by the European federation Animation in Europe, yesterday at MIFA, with the title All in the same boat: what is the role of television to overcome the current crisis?. In this round table, representatives of France Télévisions and BBC, among others, explained how these public entities are adapting their strategies to support and strengthen their respective national industries. They were also exhaustive when it came to remembering that the obligation of a public service is to bet not only on well-known brands but also on newly created projects and protect children's audiences. On the other hand, RTVE seems to be leaving aside a very important part of the population, those under 14 years of age, not only because of its volume (they represent 6.3 million inhabitants, 13% of the population) but also because it leaves these generations orphaned of their own cultural references and pushes them to consume foreign content on other platforms.

On the other hand, in the opinion of BACK y BOW it is essential that RTVE reinforces its offer of children's content on the Clan channel by increasing the number of supported projects, balancing newly created and consolidated properties, their provision and greater agility in internal processes. This public-private collaboration is key so that production companies can compete on equal terms in the international arena and can generate cultural wealth and the Spain brand through the retention and exploitation of the intellectual property of their works.