2003 in Spanish television

This is a list of Spanish television related events in 2003.

Events

• 8 April: Telecinco cameraman, José Couso, dies while covering the War of Iraq.
• 1 May: Telefónica sells to Grupo Planeta 25% of the shares of Antena 3, which makes him the reference shareholder of the channel.
• 16 June: José Manuel Lara Bosch and Maurizio Carlotti are appointed chairman and CEO, respectively, of Antena 3.
• 21 July:
• The merger of the digital platforms Canal Satélite Digital and Vía Digital gives rise to a single platform in Spain: Digital+.
• Television channels Canal+ Deporte 1 (later known as Canal+ Futbol and MoviStar Futbol) and DCine Espanol (later known as Movistar Cine Espanol and Cine Espanol por Movistar Plus+) starts broadcasting.
• Television channel Beca TV stops broadcasting.
• 23 July: The National Court issues a ruling convicting Televisión Española for violating the fundamental rights to strike and freedom of association during the news coverage of the general strike of 20 June 2002.
• 29 October: Antena 3 goes public to the Spanish Stock Exchange.
• 15 November: Spain enters the inaugural Junior Eurovision Song Contest with "Desde el cielo" performed by 12-year-old Sergio Jesús García.

Debuts

Television shows

Ending this year

Changes of network affiliation

Foreign series debuts in Spain

Deaths

• 1 January – Pepe Palau, host, 76.
• 9 February – José María Tasso, actor, 69.
• 4 April – José María Escuer, actor, 82.
• 8 April – José Couso, cameraman, 38.
• 10 April – Chumy Chúmez, comedian, 75.
• 2 May – Queta Claver, actress, 73.
• 7 July – Antonio Iranzo, actor, 73.
• 19 July – Maruchi Fresno, actress, 87.
• 23 July – Fernando García Tola, director, writer and host, 62.
• 7 November – Juanjo Menéndez, actor, 74.
• 2 December – Mayka Vergara, journalist, 54.

See also

• 2003 in Spain
• List of Spanish films of 2003

References