Ricard Ustrell, Targeted: His Production Company Has Received €27 Million in Public Funds

Ricard Ustrell, a well-known presenter and producer at TV3, is at the center of controversy after it was revealed that his production company, La Manchester Radiofònica, has received more than 27 million euros in public funds.

According to Octuvre, between 2017 and 2024, the production company has billed a total of 27,594,051 euros, mainly through contracts with the Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media (CCMA). This situation has caused unrest within the CCMA itself, where some employees have already criticized these contracts.

The Outsourcing of Content and Internal Criticism

In 2023, the criticism was even stronger. The Works Council and the Professional Council of Catalunya Ràdio issued a statement denouncing the use of public funds to outsource productions to companies like Ustrell's. The statement pointed out that never before had a program as important as El matí de Catalunya Ràdio depended so much on external staff, without going through a selection process.

The criticisms of Ustrell are not limited to the handling of public funds. In recent years, his career has been marked by several media failures.

Programs like "Planta Baixa" and "Col·lapse" failed to connect with the audience, achieving results well below expectations. Despite these failures, his production company continues to receive large sums of public money, which has sparked a debate about the effectiveness of these funds.

Political Controversies

In addition to his television failures, Ustrell has been involved in several public controversies that have affected his image.

In 2023, his program "Planta Baixa" caused controversy by airing images of Carles Puigdemont with the song "Rata de dos patas." This incident provoked outrage on social media and significant damage to his credibility. This is compounded by other mistakes, such as his statement on Twitter that he wouldn't watch the TV3 debate, which forced him to retract.

Ustrell's case highlights the practices of content outsourcing at TV3, something that some consider an inappropriate use of public resources. Criticisms about how these funds are distributed and who receives them continue to grow, while the corporation maintains contracts with companies of influential people like Toni Soler or Ricard Ustrell.

The situation has sparked an intense debate about transparency in the management of public funds and the quality of the programs funded with them. In fact, this comes as, this same week, the Sindicatura has denounced TV3's bad practices. In addition to astronomical salaries among the management, the audit has revealed fraudulent appointments and a lack of transparency.