TV3 sends Xavier Valls to watch on the air during the hours

BarcelonaTV3 management has opened disciplinary proceedings against sports journalist Xavier Valls for criticizing on air the schedule changes affecting OnzeThe sports talk show she presents on the Esport3 channel. The human resources department has informed her that an investigation has been opened to clarify the facts and warns that they "could contravene the style guide of the Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation (CCMA), constitute disciplinary offenses, and result in sanctions," according to the information letter accompanying the file, which ARA has obtained.

The controversy stems from the program's audience ratings. Onze on Esport3 on the day of Real Madrid's elimination from the Copa del Rey, which was superior to the one obtained by FanzoneDespite being broadcast on TV3, which has a ten times larger audience base, the following week, to prevent Xavier Valls' sports talk show from overshadowing Gerard Romero's show, it was decided that Fanzone was broadcast simultaneously on both channels, and Onze He had to wait until the first segment ended before he could begin, right around midnight, with the resulting impact on the audience.

Specifically, and according to the human resources document, there are two on-air appearances that are noted. The first was on Tuesday, two days before the time slot change. "On Thursday, we will indeed be on at three-quarters of midnight. Why? Because we are behind the Fanzone“It’s a decision we don’t agree with, and we’ve told them so, but we’ll be here, resisting,” Valls said. When the day of the program arrived, he insisted: “We’re here, even if it’s much later than usual. The reason is that theOnze cannot coincide with the FanzoneToday we should say Dotzemore than Onze"This program."

Apart from these on-air statements, for which he has been disciplined, Valls has also referred to them on social media. In one of his posts on X, he is wearing a cap with the inscription Fan-Onze, an anagram of Fanzone.

Sources within the CCMA management explained to this newspaper that the disciplinary proceedings come after repeated incidents in which the journalist has used his on-air presence to criticize the network's decisions. They also noted that there are internal channels for expressing complaints and receiving appropriate explanations. Furthermore, they indicated that Valls can seek recourse from bodies such as the professional council. In fact, this council issued a statement three weeks ago expressing "unease and perplexity" at what they perceived as preferential treatment. FanzoneAt the heart of the controversy lies the tension between a Sports department that insists on in-house production at a time when it has few premium sports rights and an external program, produced by Atomic Beat. In their statement, they argued that Onze He had been "passed over" and that "the television management has not respected the opinions of the various sports directors nor the work of its professionals, creating a perfectly avoidable conflict." The professional council represents the journalists who work at the CCMA.

According to information obtained by ARA, the team of Onze He sent a signed letter to TV3 management expressing his disagreement with the initiation of the disciplinary proceedings. Management responded with another letter explaining the reasons for the disciplinary action.