Lack of plurality reported in Onda Cádiz

PSOE and Adelante Izquierda Gaditana have reported a lack of political plurality in the programming of the municipal television station Onda Cádiz, according to data published for last year by the Consejo Audiovisual de Andalucía.

The report reveals that the mayor of Cádiz, Bruno García, has doubled his airtime on the channel, going from the 14% recorded by the previous mayor, José María González, Kichi, to 28%. In addition, the time dedicated to the local government team has increased from 48% to 76.2%, while the space reserved for the opposition has been drastically reduced from 37% to 14%.

Criticism of Bruno García's Government
The general secretary of PSOE, José Ramón Ortega, has compared this situation to the “worst times of Teófila Martínez”, when the PP used the media to create an “imaginary city” while neglecting actual management. In a statement, Ortega demanded that Bruno García “respect the independence of Onda Cádiz instead of promoting self-praise, empty messages and smoke screens to hide his lack of projects”.

For his part, the spokesperson for Adelante Izquierda Gaditana, David de la Cruz, criticized that, in less than two years, the PP has turned Onda Cádiz into what some have dubbed “TeleBruno”. De la Cruz highlighted that the municipal public channel has gone from being “the most plural in Andalusia” to ranking sixth in this regard. Furthermore, he stressed that the staff of Onda Cádiz is not responsible for this situation, but rather “the politicians who interfere in the public channel for partisan interests”.

Impact on news plurality
The complaint from both political groups puts the spotlight on the loss of plurality in local public media, an issue that has sparked controversy in the city of Cádiz. According to data from the Consejo Audiovisual de Andalucía, the local government has significantly increased its presence in programming, while the opposition has seen its space reduced significantly.

This situation has reignited the debate surrounding the independence of public media and their role as guarantors of transparency and balanced reporting.