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And it was on the streets that we reported the vehement opposition to the construction of a high activity Radio-active Waste Storage Facility. The inhabitants of those towns which – by a decision of their local councils – were ofering to house the “nuclear cemetery” were up in arms against each other. And Telecinco was there to broadcast live, reporting minute by minute a debate which is still raging.

2010 has seen no progress in the application of a Dependency Law in certain communities, and this failure has been highlighted by Telecinco. Its reports were based on the facts yet delivered through the words of the persons afected: the elderly and persons with problems and disabilities who often fnd through the media the assistance which administrations fail to provide.

Children and the fght for their rights are key issues for Informativos Telecinco. Our reporters visited Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, and thanks to the collaboration of the chairman of the NGO “Protect” we were able to report the weaknesses in the controls in place to prevent child prostitution. Telecinco´s aim in this connection is to raise society’s awareness of the fact that any situation in which a child is left defenceless or is the object of injustice of any kind is a crime.

Looking abroad…

Looking abroad, the frst big news story of 2010 receiving extensive coverage in Telecinco was the earthquake in Haiti, which was a major natural disaster. The News director Pedro Piqueras and two teams of reporters travelled to Haiti to provide the fullest possible vision of this tragedy: the destruction of homes, of schools, violence, the role of women, international aid, etc.

The frst half of the year was marked by two environmental stories which had a major impact in the media. One was the BP Oil Spill in the Mexican Gulf. Informativos Telecinco was there to cover the spill itself and the eforts to contain it and combat its efects throughout its duration. This coverage included a trip made to the area by the channel’s correspondent in Washington.

We also reported on the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalla. For many long weeks, this event played havoc with air travel, particularly in Europe, where airspace had to be closed for several days. This natural disaster showed just how vulnerable our civilisation is from the technological viewpoint.

Another environmental catastrophe coveredwas the spillage of toxic slurry in Hungary in the month of October. A team of reporters travelled to the area to report the story directly. And lastly, for many weeks Telecinco reported on the monsoon rains in China and Pakistan and their consequences.

And another major story which was reported all over the world – becoming almost a social phenomenon- was the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners is Copiacó. We sent two teams of reporters who reported on the plight of trapped miners on a daily basis and covered their eventual rescue.

In 2010 we also reported on the economic and social situation in Greece following the rescue of its economy by the European Union. There were massive general strikes and protests against the