The management of Radio Televisión Pública de Andalucía (RTVA) has announced it will not take internal disciplinary action against Gustavo Fuentes Aguilar, CEO of the production company Andalucía Digital Multimedia S.A. (ADM), due to an ongoing judicial investigation into sexual assault allegations. RTVA officials stated that because the complainant pursued a judicial route rather than filing an internal report, the agency’s anti-harassment protocols cannot be activated at this time.
The decision by RTVA, the public broadcaster for the Andalusia region, follows reports that a gender violence court in Seville has been investigating Fuentes Aguilar for two months. The investigation stems from a complaint filed by a reporter at ADM, who alleges sexual assault, continuous sexual harassment, and workplace harassment.
Why is RTVA’s anti-harassment protocol not being activated?
The leadership of RTVA, directed by General Director Juan de Dios Mellado, issued a formal statement on Tuesday evening clarifying the agency’s legal position. While RTVA is legally required to maintain an equality plan and anti-harassment protocols for all employees and external providers—including companies like ADM that service Canal Sur—the agency claims the specific circumstances of this case prevent internal intervention.
According to the official statement from RTVA, the complainant did not choose to file a formal internal grievance with either the management of ADM or the management of Canal Sur. Instead, the victim opted to take the matter directly to the judicial system. The RTVA statement noted that “no internal complaint has been filed with the RTVA regarding the facts reported.”
The broadcaster further explained that its internal protocols mandate the suspension of internal proceedings when a judicial process is already underway regarding the same facts. This legal stance allows the agency to defer action to the courts, although the statement did not specify any “temporary preventive measures” to be taken against Fuentes Aguilar in his capacity as a service provider to the broadcaster.
What are the specific allegations against Gustavo Fuentes Aguilar?
Gustavo Fuentes Aguilar currently serves as the CEO of Andalucía Digital Multimedia S.A. (ADM) and has held the position of president of the Clúster Audiovisual de Andalucía. A gender violence court in Seville is investigating him for three distinct criminal categories: sexual assault, continuous sexual harassment, and workplace harassment. These investigations have been active for approximately two months, according to legal reports.
While Fuentes Aguilar remains in his role as CEO of ADM, he has already faced immediate professional consequences in other sectors. Following the disclosure of the investigation, he was removed from his presidency of the Clúster Audiovisual de Andalucía on Tuesday. The allegations have caused significant internal friction within the audiovisual sector in Andalusia, with several reporters from the flagship program Andalucía Directo—which is produced by ADM—expressing their concerns through social media, including further allegations of workplace harassment within the company.
How does the ADM-Canal Sur relationship impact the investigation?
The scandal has significant implications for the operational stability of Canal Sur, as ADM is one of its most critical institutional content providers. ADM operates as a public-private entity, with the Junta de Andalucía serving as its majority shareholder. This close tie between the production company and the regional government has placed the administration of President Juanma Moreno under scrutiny.
ADM is responsible for producing some of the most prominent programming on Canal Sur, including the long-running news program Andalucía Directo, which has been on air for 25 years. Because ADM is a primary supplier of content to the public broadcaster, the legal status of its leadership directly affects the continuity and reputation of Canal Sur’s broadcast schedule.
The investigation has also reached the political level. Sources indicate the situation has caused significant tension within the Presidency’s office, particularly involving Antonio Sanz, the Counselor of the Presidency, who had previously been a prominent supporter of the current leadership structures within the audiovisual sector.
What are the next steps for RTVA and the Equality Commission?
In response to pressure from labor unions, the RTVA leadership has called an urgent meeting of the Equality Commission for this coming Thursday. This commission is a formal body composed of representatives from both the company management and the workforce, designed to oversee compliance with equality and anti-harassment regulations.
The objective of Thursday’s meeting is to evaluate the appropriate actions to take in light of the current situation and to demand explanations from the management team regarding the impact of the investigation on Canal Sur. However, representatives participating in the commission have indicated that the meeting is unlikely to result in immediate disciplinary actions, as the primary focus will be on information gathering and assessing the repercussions for the public broadcaster.
The judicial investigation in Seville remains the primary mechanism for resolving the allegations. The outcome of the court proceedings will likely dictate whether RTVA or the Junta de Andalucía will be forced to reconsider their current stance on Fuentes Aguilar’s contractual relationship with the public broadcaster.
The next scheduled development in this case will be the meeting of the RTVA Equality Commission on Thursday. We will continue to monitor official filings and judicial updates as they become available.
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