The institutions welcome the transfer of MTV to a region with one of the highest rates of precariousness and unemployment. In the face of this situation, Agent Piztu Bilbo was the first to raise his voice and Piztu Ezkerraldea joined the complaint in early October. Driven by various social movements (feminists, Euskaltzales, musical groups, youth assemblies, student movements), it aims to counter the cultural model of MTV, a symbol of “capitalist globalization and sexism”. “The MTV model fosters values contrary to the daily practice of women, by leaving out small languages, music and leisure as a business…”, explains Ibai Ariztegi, a member of the platform, of Barakaldo.

The “invasion of the MTV” denounced by Piztu Ezkerraldea began this Monday with the concert of the town square of Barakaldo. The beginning, however, was not as expected by the organizers, but a cold environment with a gray environment was experienced. What was done the following day in Landako Gunea de Durango was along the same road, far from the “difficulties of access to the concert” announced on social networks by MTV the previous days.

The biggest controversy has arisen from the arrival of MTV in Bizkaia loaded with resources and public money that have not been able to raise funds. In the case of Barakaldo, an aid of EUR 220,000 – BEC! The room rental is totally free – it has been offered by the City Hall. “To that must be added the money that corresponds to the security measures and the different services,” says Ariztegi. The organization of the concert on Monday caused some inconveniences in the town. The town square was closed to the public and traffic, so residents had to file the card to enter, for example. In addition, the Ertzaintza helicopter has been moved to the area throughout the day.

“It has become very clear what the model of the institutions is, they have offered all kinds of aid and resources to private companies that want to do business, such as the Barakaldo Party Commission, which refuse,” says Ariztegi. For the MTV concert, the City Hall modified the bus route. The Festival Commission asked for the same for this year’s Barakaldo festivities, but the mayor’s response was that “it’s impossible.” The same answer was given to the question about the possibility of installing txosnas at the Herriko Plaza. Yesterday the beer was sold for three euros in the MTV “txosnas”, in addition to the advertising txokos and the VIP area of several companies.

Many of these examples are appearing in recent days, but the most significant has been the one that has been made known in recent days. MTV has been able to do the little that no one can get in Bizkaia: Delay a Athletic game so they can play in San Mamés.

Subsidized precariousness?

Ariztegi states that unemployment and precariousness are the bread of every day on the left margin, and the data corroborate this every year. Where the first factories were, there are multinational sales outlets and, in general, working conditions are precarious, as reported by the majority of trade unions or groups such as Berriotxoa. Piztu Ezkerraldea's member says Monday's image has been very significant: “While celebrating the MTV concert, charged with money and public resources, the workers of La Naval were locked up in defense of their jobs.”

The public institutions of Bizkaia, Bilbao and Barakaldo have stated that the MTV show will be “a means to project our image in the world”. And in compensation for the public money that has been granted – over three million – there will be EUR 44 million in profits here and 500 jobs will be created. Opposition groups Podemos and EH Bildu have denounced the opposition, the lack of data on how the benefits will be produced and, above all, what the beneficiaries will be. “They will create jobs, yes, with a week’s duration and, as MTV does in other countries, under inadequate working conditions,” Ariztegi said.

On MTV in Basque?

The announcement that three Basque groups that regularly play in the areas of popular movements will participate in the MTV programme has, for many, been the way to join the debate on MTV. The fact that Berri Txarrak joined the San Mamés macro-concert on the eve of the November 4 awards ceremony opened the issue. Asked about this topic, Piztu Ezkerraldea points out that some have been hurt to see that a group of people on a personal level is part of the MTV show. But, above all, “it’s been painful for some of the team members who are working collectively on this issue, such as the fact that you’ve scored a goal in the area you suddenly feel close to the one who works every day. The organizers are not naïve and know how to fulfill the quota very well, put hooks for the public ‘other’, but without touching the base and the main sense of the business and the model. But well, we must not forget that music groups are also companies and move around based on that.”

To the question of whether the shows of a montinational that plays big from a commercial and territorial point of view can be useful for the dissemination of small languages and cultures, there is no doubt in Piztu Ezkerraldea: “Like all other minority languages and cultures, Euskera has never had a place in the business model that drives MTV, nor will it have it going forward,” says Ariztegi.

Demonstration on 4 November

Piztu Bilbo will put an end to the programme he has prepared these days in the Basque capital, on 4 November in Barakaldo. During the MTV awards ceremony, members of Piztu Ezkerraldea have prepared a program for the whole day, and they want the demonstration they organized at 18:30 to be multitudinous, under the motto “Piztu Ezkerraldea, MTV ez!”.