Timeline: chronology of television in Spain

1956 Televisión Española (TVE), the monopoly state channel, begins broadcasting.

1966 TVE2, the minority cultural channel, begins broadcasting.

1975 Death of Franco.

1977 Election of Rightist UCD Government.

1980 Statute of Radio and Television, reforming RTVE for the democratic era.

1982 Election of PSOE (Socialist) Government.

1984 Third Channel Law, regulating public regional channels, which begin broadcasting throughout Spain over next six years, following the lead of Basquelanguage ETB-1 and Catalan-language TV3.

1988 Private TV Law, granting licences to commercial channels.

1989 Setting up of FORTA, the consortium of public regional channels, as a counterweight to Madrid-based channels.

1990 Private national channels Antena 3 and Tele5 (free-to-air) and Canal + (subscription) begin broadcasting.

1995 Cable Law, grants franchises for cable and satellite broadcasting.

1996 Election of PP (Rightist) Government.

1997 Canal Satélite Digital (Prisa) and Vía Digital (Telefónica) begin transmission as competing platforms.

2003 Canal Satélite Digital and Vía Digital merge.

2004 Election of PSOE (Socialist) Government.

2005 Report by “Committee of Wise Men,” calling for further reform of TVE.

—— Private national channel Cuatro (formerly Canal +) begins broadcasting free-to-air.

Glossary of names

Amenábar, Alejandro. The best known young filmmaker in Spain, with four prize-winning features.

Apeles, Father. Conservative Catholic spokesman, frequent guest on TV talk shows.

Arias, Imanol. Former movie star and heart-throb of the 1980s and 1990s for directors including Almodóvar; TV star in drama Querido maestro (Dear Teacher, 1996–8), the mini-series on Spanish Nobel Prize winner Severo Ochoa (2001), and Cuéntame cómo pasó (Tell Me How It Happened, 2001– ).

Arias Salgado, Fernando. A conservative Director-General of TVE during the Transition to democracy.

Ariztimuño, Iñaki. Young co-creator of hit sitcom Aquí no hay quien viva (No-one Can Live Here, 2003– )

Aznar, José María. President of the government led by the Partido Popular (1996–2004).

Belén, Ana. Successful singer and prolific actress in film and TV (Fortunata y Jacinta, 1980), once known for her radical politics; with her son, performs the theme tune of Cuéntame cómo pasó (Tell Me How It Happened, 2001– ).

Berlanga, Luis García. Veteran filmmaker, famed for his black comedies satirizing Spanish archetypes; occasionally directs for TV (e.g. Blasco Ibáñez [1997]).

Berlusconi, Silvio. Italian President and media mogul; part owner of Spanish channel Tele5.