Journalist Pepa Bueno has been awarded the 2026 Joan Ramón Mainat Award at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Television Festival in recognition of her professional career.
Festival organizers selected the Extremadura born journalist for a professional trajectory spanning more than three decades across radio, television and the written press.
Jury members highlighted her extensive and prestigious career, as well as the rigour, credibility and distinct voice in news analysis that have defined her work. FesTVal, held annually in the Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz, presents the Joan Ramón Mainat Award to honour prominent figures in Spanish broadcasting.
Early broadcasting career and move to TVE
Bueno earned her degree in journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid before starting her broadcasting career with the news services of public radio station Radio Nacional de España in Extremadura. She was later appointed head of news for the station in Aragon, and subsequently took charge of news operations in Madrid.
In 1991, she joined state television broadcaster Televisión Española, initially directing and presenting the regional news bulletin in Andalusia. Her work with the public network continued on the regional news broadcast in Madrid, followed by hosting duties on national programs including the magazine show Gente and morning news program Los Desayunos de TVE.
Between 2009 and 2012, Bueno took over editing and presenting duties on Telediario 2, the flagship evening news bulletin on Televisión Española. She later left the broadcaster before returning to the role in 2025.
Transition to radio and newspaper leadership
Bueno left the public broadcaster in 2012 to launch a new professional phase at commercial radio network Cadena SER, owned by media group Prisa. She co-hosted the morning show Hoy por Hoy alongside Gemma Nierga before taking the helm of evening news program Hora 25 in 2019.
In 2021, she moved into print journalism by assuming the directorship of El País, Spain's highest-circulation daily newspaper. She became only the second woman to lead the national newspaper in its history, holding the position until June 2025.
Return to Telediario 2 and audience growth
On September 1, 2025, Bueno returned to Televisión Española 13 years after her departure, once again taking charge as director and anchor of Telediario 2. Under her leadership during the 2025 to 2026 season, the evening news bulletin averaged 1,550,000 viewers and achieved a 14 percent market share.
The figure marked an increase of 2.2 percentage points over the previous season and represented the best audience rating for Telediario 2 in 14 years. That strong performance continued into July 2026, when the bulletin averaged 1,531,000 viewers and reached a 17.9 percent audience share, leading its time slot and improving by 6.6 points compared to July 2025.
On-location news coverage and new podcast
During her latest tenure at Televisión Española, Bueno has fronted special broadcasts and field reports. She hosted TeledIArio, a special edition focused on examining the opportunities, risks and long-term impacts of artificial intelligence.
She also reported on location for key global and domestic events. Marking the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, she presented a special news edition live from Ramallah in the West Bank centered on civilian personal accounts. Earlier, in September 2025, she traveled to San Vicente de Leira in the Galician province of Ourense to report on severe summer wildfires and local reconstruction challenges.
This season, Bueno launched La semana, a weekly video podcast examining current affairs through interviews with experts and key figures. The nine-episode first season covers subjects including psychedelic depression treatments, the criminalisation of migrants in the United States, growing Catholic devotion among young people, and prediction markets.
Career recognitions and industry awards
The 2026 Joan Ramón Mainat Award adds to a long series of professional accolades Bueno has received throughout her career. Her past honours include the Ondas Award, the Micrófono de Oro, and the Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Prize.
In 2022, business publication Forbes named her among the 100 most influential women in Spain. FesTVal's latest award celebrates a career that has spanned Radio Nacional de España, Televisión Española, Cadena SER, and El País, and which currently continues at the helm of public television news.
