The reform, passed with the support of the groups backing the regional Executive, aims to provide stability to the public broadcaster and prevent institutional paralysis. However, the PSOE, Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista, and Vox parties have rejected the text, arguing for a reduction in parliamentary control and a greater concentration of power in the director general's role.
The new regulation replaces the 2014 law, which never fully implemented its governance model, forcing the use of transitional measures. Parties supporting the initiative, such as Coalición Canaria and the PP, argued that the reform is necessary to prevent RTVC from becoming "blocked" and to overcome "resounding embarrassments" of the previous model.
The main point of contention has been the new election system for the Control Board. While its seven members will continue to be appointed by the Parliament, a second vote has been introduced where an absolute majority will suffice if the previously required three-fifths majority is not reached. For the government and its allies, this mechanism prevents future blockages, while the opposition views it as a "democratic setback" that concentrates power "in a single person."
The law also includes significant labor changes. It mandates that Televisión Canaria must broadcast at least 1,600 annual hours of news content produced with its own staff, and Radio Canaria a minimum of 3,500 hours, with these figures to be progressively implemented until 2027. The production of news programs will fall to the public entities' employees, although the possibility of contracting external companies for complementary work remains.
This aspect concerning in-house production was modified during the parliamentary process, incorporating a "safeguard" to ensure news production with own staff following staff mobilizations. The new regulation also establishes a Professional Committee to oversee the independence, objectivity, and veracity of information, and requires programming to ensure the presence of all eight islands in content and territorial coverage.
