'The TV family' collapses despite changes

Barcelona"When I'm professionally convinced that the program has reached its limit, I'll withdraw it. But I don't have that conviction today." These were the words of RTVE President José Pablo López, speaking before the Joint Committee on May 29, referring to the program. The TV familyThe next day, however, the network announced that it was implementing a severe blow: the show was losing its entire second half, the one that followed the two soap operas it served as a container for. A week later, it became clear that this measure had not stemmed the flow and that the show, which now only lasts an hour and ten minutes, is a liability for the network.

The TV family He arrived at La 1 on May 5, coming from the program As if we were Shhhh!, from the Ten channel, which at the same time had built it from the rubble of the extinct Save me Telecinco's. The program debuted with a 10.1% audience share, but there was a catch: formally, it was stated that it aired from just before 4 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., and in between, the show featuring Belén Esteban, María Patiño, and company was interrupted to offer two series, Wild Valley and The promise. If the data were looked at without these soap opera-like crutches, the figure dropped to a more modest 8.7%.

Since that debut, ratings have been even more disastrous. During May, with the run still extended, the non-series program barely managed 7.1% of the audience, which benefited from the election of the new pope, which took place while the magazine show was in progress, and the hangover from the Eurovision Song Contest with Melody. If these two specific peaks are omitted, The TV family rather, it has moved a little above 6%. All this was also happening while the statements of rejection from TVE unions and the news council – the body that represents the journalists of the house – were piling up, because they understood that it was an unsuitable format for a public channel.

The new stage, with a single block right after the Newscast (which gives them a good start with the audience due to the bandwagon effect), has not yielded the expected results either. They joined La 1 expressly to watch the subsequent soap opera.

In Catalonia the data is even harsher for the program, which is suffering from the stiff competition from TV3. The first block before the series achieved a 5.4% share in May, and the second, which fell in the last week, the figure has continued to collapse, reaching 5.0% (and having registered 4.5% on Wednesday, which brings it dangerously close to the figures of the second channel). The low penetration of this program in Catalonia is evident with the figure of its historical minimum this week. most watched option in Catalonia, just half a point above La 2. In Spain it has also finished in fifth place, behind Cuatro and La Sexta, which are secondary channels with respect to Telecinco and Antenta 3, respectively.

And this has happened even though the Catalan spectator follows it very well. The promise. During this last week, in fact, the series reached 14.5% in Catalonia, which is 1.1 points more than in Spain as a whole. The conclusion it suggests is that eliminating the second block of The TV family has stopped scaring away viewers for La 1. The other series, Wild Valley, isn't generating much interest. The 8.5% share achieved last week in Spain remains at 7.4% in Catalonia.

A little consolation

Although The TV family has shone in ratings, the strength of the two fictions has allowed the public channel to hold its own. Since it resumed its afternoon run, it has achieved a 9.3% audience share, one tenth more than the same period last year. And, more importantly, it has gone from third to second, as Telecinco continues to miss the mark and has lost 1.2 points, remaining at 9.1% of the audience. shareIn Catalonia, however, the addition of the laundry show has caused greater disapproval among viewers. La 1 had an 8.7% audience share in the afternoons, which has risen to 8.5% in May and early June. What's more, the channel was second, behind TV3 (13.1%), while Antena 3 now surpasses it with 8.6%, and the Catalan public channel has pulled even further ahead, with a 14.1% audience share.

RTVE has agreed to an initial package of 65 episodes of this format from La Osa Producciones, the successor company to La Fábrica de la Tele, which in theory should allow it to run until the summer. No one, at this time, is considering a renewal. This initial contract has been signed for a maximum budget of almost €6 million. The presenters are paid between €950 and €1,616 per episode, and the eight featured contributors are paid between €950 and €1,150.