al, 2015). This data has also been verified by lnfoadex Reports (Sánchez-Revilla et al., 2015). Indeed, in situations of economic crisis in countries like Spain, where the economic framework is not especially strong, one of the first items to suffer cost reductions in any company is advertising.

On the other hand, results of the European Communication Monitor of 2019 stand out. This involved a macro survey carried out with nearly 2,700 communication professionals from 46 European countries to gain knowledge regarding the prestige and reputation of the professional communicator, with special emphasis on communication directors and public relations managers in companies and institutions. This study underscores the need to improve transparency in the management of internal processes and workflows (Zerfass et al., 2019), and highlights the low credibility of communicators and journalists (between 8% and 17%, respectively) in EU countries as a whole.

On the other hand, the audio-visual sector has also suffered severely from the consequences of the 2008 economic crisis. Traditional aid to film and television production, both at the state and regional levels, has been drastically reduced over the last decade, especially since 2012 (FAPAE, 2015). In the case of the Valencian Autonomous Region, reports by various entities such as the Federación de Empresas Audiovisuales Valencianas –the Federation of Valencian Audio-Visual Companies– (EAVF, 2014), the Mesa Sectorial del Audio-Visual Valenciano –the Valencian Audio-Visual Sector Board– (MESAV, 2014), the Unió de Periodistes –the Union of Valencian Journalists (UPV, 2015)–, and the Comisión de Expertos en Comunicación de las Universidades Valencianas –Commission of Experts on Communication of Valencian Universities– (CECUV, 2015), have been very eloquent in their assessment of the serious situation of the Valencian communication and audio-visual sector, especially in the period between 2012 and 2016, which coincided with the closure of the Valencian public radio and television station in 2013 (Campos-Freire, 2013; EAVF, 2014; PAV, 2019).

1.2. Paralysis of the communication system: the case of the Valencian Region as a paradigm

The impact of the financial crisis of 2008, changes in the modes of production, distribution and consumption of the media, as well as the crisis of legitimacy related to public management, have all had a strong impact on the Spanish and Valencian communication systems. Analysis of the financial evolution of public audio-visual services shows that the depth of the crisis has been much more acute in the countries of southern Europe (Campos-Freire, 2016; Juanatey-Boga, Martínez-Fernández & Rodríguez-Castro, 2018), which have recovered slightly in the last three years. Nevertheless, the case study of the Valencian Autonomous Region is truly unique on an international level, and evidently in the Spanish media context as well (Bustamante, 2015; Prado, 2015; Zallo, 2015; López-Rico, 2016a, 2016b). Without a doubt, the closure of RTVV in November of 2013 has dramatically influenced the development of the media system in Valencia.

Specifically, on 29 November 2013, Radio 9 and Channel 9 terminated their broadcasting service, thus initiating a process of dissolution of the two public broadcasting companies that were dependent on the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Regional government), as well as on Radio-television regional Valenciana S.A. (RTVV Plc.) In 2015, a new government composed of left-wing parties came to power after twenty years of conservative governments. Faced with a devastated Valencian media scenario in which the Autonomous Region of Valencia became the only territory in the