During the last year, the Spanish audiovisual sector saw itself dealing with a profound transformation with the arrival of the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV), the making official of the General Law of Audiovisual Communication, the new financing of RTVE and the final irruption of the new technologies of distribution, consumption and creation of the audiovisual contents, like the Internet and the mobile phone. To all this we have to add the economic crisis, which is also a factor and which affected the game rules of all the involved agents. Throughout all these complex changes, and beginning with the Audiovisual Contents and Formats Master’s Degree from Valencia, we consider that the contents should have a privileged position in the value chain of the audiovisual production. To this purpose we have organized the 3^rd edition of the CONTD Sessions – Contenidos para la Televisión Digital – that was celebrated on the 3^rd and 4^th of June, and which allowed experts, professionals and academics to reflect and debate upon the so-called quality contents.

One of the main conclusions that all of us have drawn, is that there is no such thing as a consensus when it comes to deciding which the quality contents are, although what we can do is establish a set of aesthetic, narrative and technical parameters which give quality to the contents. A good production, the depth and the rigorous treatment of the subjects and characters, the great and complex stories and technologies like the High Definition and the 3D, are elements that give an additional value to the audiovisual contents. On the other hand, the high ratings shouldn’t be a main factor when it comes to evaluating that quality, the value of which should be established by social terms, especially in the public televisions, although a reminder that the commercial television programs are also a public service, doesn’t hurt. To this purpose, we have to focus our attention on the users’ opinion, rather as citizens than as simple consumers.

However, this doesn’t mean that the broadcasters and production companies shouldn’t try to look for the maximum profit and efficiency of the contents. Undoubtedly, the lack of financial stability represents a headache both for some of them and for the others. But it is also true that in this new digital world, new types of business appear, and many of them are waiting to develop themselves. The companies and producers would better work with cross-media ideas that could easily adapt to a transfer of public and advertisers towards screens that don’t belong to the traditional television, seen as this last one doesn’t have the contents that please them. But also one has to keep in mind that the value they possess is not the result of them being Internet and mobile phone contents.  And again, we all have to establish the quality criteria of the contents designed for the new media.

However, one shouldn’t forget that open television continues being the most used media, including with superior ratings thanks to the DTTV. And also, the high number of channels that digital television brought with itself is, all in all, very disappointing. Low specialization in thematic channels, low implementation of interactive services like High definition, low production levels, little proximity contents on the channels, but a lot of broadcasting of recovered products, a lot of low cost material and a lot of fill in material. To conclude, they are creating, with some exceptions, a very little attractive offer for the audience.

It is probably too soon to make judgments about a technology that is brand new and is being tried out. We probably should wait until the finishing of the distribution of the digital dividend and of the last adjustment of the multiplex among the broadcasters, a process which will end up giving the program schedules a substantial change. On the other hand, the channels will also have to start adapting their contents to the new adjusting pattern, in order for the recently made State Council of Audiovisual Media to act like a real organization in controlling the media flow and its contents. That would have to be a key moment for the public channels to become an influence in the origin of a new pattern for the Spanish Audiovisual industry, and also of the achievement of reference for the whole society. We will have to pay attention, because in the next few months, moves will be made in this adjustment process of the audiovisual sector and we shouldn’t allow the public media to end up on second place. In order for that to happen it will be necessary to continue the process of renovation begun by the RTVE group, starting with the autonomous offer, and also to create another local map regarding the public and private offer. Finally the goal is to advance in the professionalization of the public media and gain a transparent and efficient administration.

The organization of the 3^rd CONTD Sessions