Spain’s RTVE Faces Backlash Over Coverage of Championships

Spain’s national broadcaster is facing criticism following its coverage during the European Athletics Championships held in Birmingham, England, this week. The Spanish news agency RTVE was live broadcasting the hurdles competition, showcasing athletes from various countries as they prepared and relaxed before their races.

As the camera focused on each competitor, the RTVE anchors were introducing the athletes and their respective nations. However, when it came time to highlight Israeli hurdler Omri Schiff, something strange happened. Both anchors chose to shift their focus to another athlete who was obviously taking more time than usual.

Eventually, introductions resumed, but by then, viewers noticed that Schiff’s name had not been mentioned. Even without fluency in Spanish, the cadence gave it away. There was a palpable pause before one anchor awkwardly interjected some commentary as Schiff remained on screen.

After the broadcast transitioned to the Hungarian contestants, one of the female anchors laughed briefly and then resumed her job of announcing the remaining athletes.

In response to the backlash, RTVE issued a public apology. They expressed regret for not naming all athletes appearing on screen during the Teledeporte broadcast, particularly noting the oversight with Omri Schiff. The statement emphasized that the issue stemmed from the typical challenges of live broadcasting, like trackside commentary and timing, and was not tied to any political, ideological, or religious motives.

RTVE reiterated its commitment to ensure all participants receive proper recognition in their broadcasts and they apologized again to the affected athletes.

The broadcaster has yet to respond to requests for further comments regarding this incident.