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Spanish state television (TVE) has got implicated in the biggest controversy since the Socialist Government came to power in 1983. Observers believe that the Government may fall as there is an increasing evidence that TVE was involved in defaming the judge carrying out the investigations into the alleged role of senior officials responsible for actions of the death squad, GAL, against Basque separatists in the 1980s.

Javier Godo, the owner of 100-year-old newspaper 'La Vanguardia' in Barcelona, Spain, was asked to appear before an examining magistrate following the discovery of a group of people involved in telephone tapping and extortion. Police found that illegally taped conversations extended to approximately 100 hours. The Spanish Defense Minister considers this crime to be a serious offense.

Spain's state television network TVE has been engaged in a feud with the newspaper El Mundo because of the latter's charges that TVE purchased heroin tobe able to shoot a footage of an addict injecting himself for the show 'InformeSemanal.' A TVE expense statement corroborated the story. However, TVE has filed a suit charging El Mundo with slander and defamation. Three different versions of the truth are presented.

Proposed changes to Spain's press law are perceived by critics as the Socialist Government's way of discouraging journalists from criticizing its actions. The planned press reform incorporates defamation into existing slander and libel laws. Main features of the proposed legislation are the barring of guilty writers from engaging in the profession for a period of six months to four years, and the imposition of fines.

The Madrid Press Association has filed a lawsuit against Atletico Madrid soccer club Chmn Jesus Gil y Gil. This is in response to Gil's use of bullying tactics to evict several pressmen covering the First Division football games. Gil has previously decreed that all radio and press jounalists must pay the club before they could cover the games. However, several newsmen ignored the ban and entered the Vicente Calderon stadium carrying mobile phones and pocket cameras. They were evicted forcibly by hired bodyguards in front of the police and television cameras.

The Spanish newspaper daily El Independiente closed on Oct 30, 1992 after its owners, the national oraganization ONCE, claimed continued financial losses. The newpaper's former editor however, debunks this reason and claims that the closure is merely a repressive measure adopted by the socialist governmennt of Felipe Gonzalez since the paper has developed a reputation for being critical of the government.