Radiografía de las ayudas a los medios de comunicación en las comunidades autónomas españolas en 2019

This article focuses on public subsidies for the communication media in Spain for the year 2019, presenting an in-depth analysis of the situation. State subsidies for media is a phenomenon that became widespread in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s. In Spain, they were regulated in the 1980s, but shortly thereafter the state almost completely halted its support, and it was Spain’s autonomous regions who then promoted the subsidies. In the midst of the professional debate about whether it is possible to reinstate this support from the Spanish government because of the coronavirus crisis, we identify nine autonomous regions which promote these types of subsidies. Through a study that is both prospective and propositional, our analysis will thoroughly examine the institutions granting subsidies, the sectors benefiting from them, their aim and justification, and the margin of discretionary compliance with which they are granted. Keywords: communication media, public subsidies, autonomous regions, regulation.