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INDUSTRY Spain

Cerezo criticises TV companies’ lack of support for Spanish cinema

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Producer Enrique Cerezo yesterday launched a harsh attack against private television companies in his capacity as president of the Audiovisual Producers’ Rights Management Association (EGEDA), criticising them for their “limited involvement in buying the broadcasting rights" to Spanish productions. According to Cerezo, "on private television networks, it’s a rarity to see Spanish films. It’s not that nobody sees them, they’re just not on there. And this is a mistake, because when good films are programmed and well promoted, the audience always follows".

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In his opinion, this attitude is "a handicap for all those of us who work in this industry". Although he acknowledged the fundamental role played by certain TV companies, especially Telecinco Cinema and Antena 3 Films, in recent Spanish productions, he warns that “if a television company doesn’t buy broadcasting rights to help the production of a film, it will be practically impossible to produce it".

These comments, which were made during a debate organised by the New Economy Forum, represent another episode in the long history of disagreement between producers and private TV companies since the obligation came into effect in 1999 for the latter to invest 5% of their revenue in film. Despite the fact that this law was relaxed two years ago, reducing the percentage of investment to 3%, it appears that neither party has accepted the situation.

Moreover, Cerezo also mentioned the EU Court of Justice’s ruling on the nonconformity of the digital copyright tax applied in Spain to reproduction media such as CDs and DVDs. The EGEDA president ruled out any form of repayment of the money received thus far, since this revenue is "in accordance with current legislation". He also took the opportunity to call on politicians to quickly put an end to the “current confusion between freedom and cost-freeness".

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(Translated from Spanish)

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