Looking for a television with new FANS
Last 19th December the Audiovisual Foundation for Social Normalization (FANS by its initials in Spanish), chaired by the journalist Mabel Sánchez, set up a double morning discussion pannel at the Conference Hall of the Universidad Complutense’s Faculty of Information Sciences in Madrid.
The first pannel centred around disability’s presence in television, and our president took part in it, together with Juan Benavides, professor of Communication at Complutense University; and Juan Antonio Ledesma, president of the Comission for Social Image of Disability at CERMI. The second pannel reflected on the commitment TV networks in Spain hold towards disability, and included Faci Peñate (Communications Director at RTVE), Gracia de Miguel (from the Department of Disability Normalization Projects at Fundación Atresmedia) and Alejandro Perales (member of the Radio Televisión Madrid Board of Directors).
Javier delivered a speech focused on the journalistic and social need for spanish TVs to really put in front of the cameras professionals who are true professionals, regardless of their physical o functional abilities. As defended by our president, this is not about setting quotas, but a legitimate aspiration to equal opportunities. And he further reinforced this argument with a couple of personal experiences. First, his inclusion as a regular pundit for Estudio Estadio, since last September. And above all, the learning experience that London 2012 Paralympics meant for him, media coverage wise. Channel 4, a nation-wide free private TV channel, broadcasted a daily 13 hour long live-coverage of the event, plus the promo commercial shot with the Great Britain Paralympic Team, previous to Rio 2016 Games. A film in which Javier himself played a part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocLkk3aYlk.