Broadcaster Javier Ruiz has attacked former colleagues at Spanish network Cuatro, describing current affairs show Horizonte as rubbish during his appearance at the Media Festival. Ruiz, who serves as editorial director of the incoming Digital Terrestrial Television channel La Séptima, singled out presenters Iker Jiménez and Carmen Porter just days before his new station begins broadcasting.
The veteran journalist, who will also anchor La Séptima's weekday prime-time programming, raised his voice against the main television rivals of his new channel. He launched a severe critique against what he described as the editorial drift of Cuatro, the network where he worked for several years as an on-screen news anchor.
Speaking to attendees at the Media Festival, Ruiz stated that he no longer recognised the television channel he had helped build from its inception. He recalled that legendary journalist Iñaki Gabilondo launched the station with the evening news, while Ruiz himself presented the midday bulletins, adding that he now saw things on the channel that he did not understand.
Ruiz explained that there were people working at the network whom he no longer wished to describe as colleagues, arguing that certain television practices fell entirely outside the boundaries of genuine journalism. Addressing the nature of sensationalist broadcasts, he remarked that he said of rubbish what he said of pornography, observing that while he could not define it, he knew how to recognise it when he saw it.
The journalist also censured television panellists for directing insults at a person camping in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol public square. Ruiz rejected suggestions that such behaviour on screen could be excused or defended as a simple consequence of political polarisation.
The comments come as Ruiz prepares to lead La Séptima into a competitive broadcast market. In his executive role as editorial director, he has pledged to establish an informational model that stands apart from the sensationalist programming and confrontational formats he condemned.
National television transition and the arrival of La Séptima
The controversy unfolds as Spain's Digital Terrestrial Television system prepares for a major permanent transformation on Thursday, November 5. Major media groups across the country are rolling out ultra-high-definition channels, resetting the national television dial as new broadcast standards take effect.
Known across Spain as TDT, the digital terrestrial network provides free-to-air broadcasting to millions of households nationwide. The November upgrade requires viewers across the country to retune their television sets to access incoming high-resolution feeds and accommodate newly launched digital channels.
Cuatro originally launched across Spain in November 2005 under media group Prisa, establishing its brand on authoritative news bulletins anchored by Gabilondo, who was already widely regarded as the preeminent voice of Spanish broadcast journalism. The network later became part of Mediaset España, shifting its scheduling over subsequent years toward entertainment formats, reality television, and debate panels.
Horizonte, the weekly programme singled out by Ruiz, is hosted by married presenters Iker Jiménez and Carmen Porter. The pair gained national prominence through their long-running mystery and investigative series Cuarto Milenio, which debuted alongside Cuatro in 2005, before branching into current affairs and social debates that have frequently generated intense media controversy.
Single studio production facilities in Madrid
La Séptima will formally begin broadcasting during the morning of Thursday, November 5. The network will transmit its entire programme schedule from a single dedicated production studio located in San Sebastián de los Reyes, a municipality situated just north of Madrid.
The location places the fledgling channel right next door to commercial broadcasting group Atresmedia, which operates its main production facilities and network headquarters in the same town. San Sebastián de los Reyes has long served as one of the primary television production centres in central Spain.
Industry news outlet Panorama Audiovisual gained exclusive access to the new broadcast facilities and published comprehensive technical details of the installation. The site features a spacious, multi-purpose studio specifically engineered and optimised to handle rapid breaking news coverage and live current affairs.
The studio floor is split into two primary operational zones, both unified by a coherent visual and lighting identity. A central broadcast area is dominated by an expansive LED screen designed to support daily news bulletins and panel discussions, while a secondary space positioned directly opposite handles alternative programme formats.
Positioned between the two studio areas is the main camera line, which combines Sony camcorders with automated pan-tilt-zoom robotic camera units. Studio links to the newsroom operate through the Ross Video Inception management system, an industry platform that coordinates news rundown workflows and digital content.
The channel will also abandon static wide shots during breaking events. Instead, the production crew will deploy a dedicated Steadicam camera operator to physically accompany presenters across the studio floor and directly toward journalists in the newsroom whenever breaking news warrants live interaction.
The facility currently includes temporary digital workspaces to support day-to-day web and broadcast operations. Channel executives also plan to build secondary studio facilities over the medium term, with dedicated spaces earmarked for video podcasts and digital streaming formats.
Weekday television schedule on La Séptima
La Séptima has unveiled a comprehensive Monday to Friday programming grid designed to contest daytime and evening television audiences. Morning coverage begins with El Pulso, a current affairs programme presented by journalist Verónica Sanz.
The schedule transitions into the post-lunch slot with En línea with Sarah Santaolalla, which provides midday commentary and political discussion. The afternoon schedule then opens with Sobre la mesa, presented by journalist Rocío Delgado.
Late afternoon coverage shifts to La Diana, fronted by television presenter Noor Ben Yessef. The weekday lineup culminates in the prime-time evening slot with La última hora, an informational broadcast presented directly by Ruiz.
Weekend programming lineup
La Séptima will maintain an original broadcast lineup across Saturday and Sunday rather than relying on automated daytime repeats. Weekend programming opens in the morning with Fin de semana, presented by veteran television host Luján Argüelles.
The weekend post-lunch slot features comedy and satire with La comedia nacional, presented by comedian Héctor de Miguel. Afternoon audiences will then be offered Fuera de control, a programme co-hosted by media personalities Alba Carrillo and Marta Márquez.
Saturday programming closes in the evening prime-time slot with a dedicated film programme, which will precede the broadcast of a featured movie. The varied weekend offering reflects the channel's ambition to establish a seven-day presence across Spanish digital television.
