Montevideo TV channel spends over $1.5 million monthly on salaries, councilor claims

Montevideo's municipal television channel, TV Ciudad, is spending over $1.5 million monthly on salaries for its on-air talent, according to a national party councilor. Diego Rodríguez Salomón of the National Party released findings from an information request he submitted three months prior to the Montevideo Intendancy (IMM).

Rodríguez Salomón's data indicates that salaries for hosts and panelists across programs like 'La Aldea,' 'MVD Noticias' (now 'Info Capital'), 'Lado B,' 'Ciudad Viva,' 'Mirá Montevideo,' and 'Todo Carnaval' total $1,570,000. He criticized the IMM for withholding specific contract details due to confidentiality clauses, calling it "hidden information."

"It's a channel that has no notion of existing, nor any purpose for the IMM," Rodríguez Salomón stated in an interview with El País. He argued that the channel's alleged zero rating makes the expenditure senseless. "There are more than $1.5 million per month for a channel that has 0 rating points," he added, contrasting it with the needs of vulnerable populations. He suggested the funds could be redirected to address issues like child poverty, a common talking point for the ruling Broad Front (FA) party.