Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y la batalla por Televisión Española (1981-1982)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the politics of the Government of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo towards the television between 1981 and 1982. We use protagonists' testimonies, press, and personal records (principally from Calvo-Sotelo Archive). RTVE's evolution is studied along the mandates of the three directors in these years: Fernando Castedo, Carlos Robles Piquer y Eugenio Nasarre. Their mandates were determined by constant allegations of manipulation and provoked the dismissal of both first ones mired in controversy. In parallel to critiques on the partisan use of the public Television the Government tried to legalize the private television, which it did not obtain, mostly due to UCD's internal disputes. The main conclusion of this study is that the situation of the television constituted a key element in the political debate between government and opposition and that was a fundamental factor in the deterioration of the president Calvo-Sotelo´s public image, and in last term, in UCD's wear.