Juan de Dios Mellado’s appearance at a campaign rally for Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Juanma Moreno in Málaga has raised a legitimate question about the public independence of Canal Sur’s leadership. Attendance alone does not establish misconduct, but it cannot simply be treated as an ordinary social engagement either.
Andalusia’s PSOE on Monday called for the resignation of Mellado, director general of the regional public broadcaster RTVA. The party pointed to a photograph shared on social media by PP general coordinator Elías Bendodo showing Mellado among the audience at Sunday’s electoral event in Málaga, elDiario.es reported.
Mellado said he attended as an invited guest and that he also goes to other political, business and social events. That matters: the available report does not say that he spoke at the rally, publicly endorsed a candidate or breached a specific RTVA rule.
The timing nevertheless gives the episode institutional weight. Mellado had taken office only five days earlier after being reappointed for a third term as RTVA chief with votes from the PP and Vox. A public broadcaster’s director is entitled to a private life, but the office also carries a responsibility to avoid public signals that may weaken confidence in the broadcaster’s independence.
The PSOE’s resignation demand is a political demand, not proof of a breach. Yet the image raises a question that deserves more than partisan exchanges: what standards does RTVA apply when its top executive attends campaign events, and what safeguards protect the perceived impartiality of its news operation?
No finding of wrongdoing follows from the material available. The stronger conclusion is narrower: RTVA and the authorities responsible for its governance should be able to state clearly how political-event attendance by its senior leadership is assessed, particularly during an election campaign.
Sources
- elDiario.es · Source date: 2026-11-09
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-09