The symbolism of this national vs. regional ratio is used by different local groups to reiterate their worldview. The reaffirmation of a specific local or state perspective is promoted by the networks but used to reaffirm convictions by the viewers. This relationship was expressed by Ignacio a 37 year old technology specialist at a Basque Bank during an interview:
"lo que pasa es que la única manera... de ir concientizando a la gente es ponerles una televisión en castellano pues porque hay un núcleo de población que no ven la ETB1 pues porque no entienden... y como de alguna manera hay que venderles el, la mentalización vasca..."
"la televisión vasca (ETB1)... es una herramienta que utilizan para que bueno, se utiliza en diferente fines para obtener que el pueblo vasco conozca el euskera y viva en euskera"
Ignacio, 37 year old, Bank employee
Ignacio believes that the local television media is designed to sell or promote the Basque way of thinking and is used to gain or reaffirm membership in a Basque community. While many, like Ignacio, believe that Basque television needs to be in both Spanish and Basque language in order to keep its identity alive, regardless of the language, there are those for whom a Spanish language station from the Basque television network represents betrayal and disenfranchisement. The overwhelming presence of Spanish language programming, which often show dubbed US syndicated programs, is perceived as an assault to the Basque national space, a tangible threat to the development and survival of the Basque language and a corrosive force that erodes Basque values and culture.
Instead of kids playing in the park, spending time with grandparents or developing town based relationships the television inserts the risk of presenting different examples of discourse and patterns of relations that break with the Basque way. The most common example used are the Spanish or US definition of possession in regards to one's home or parents, my house, my parents, which in Basque is not possessed by an individual but by a collective, gure etxea, gure aita-ama (our house, our father-mother). The fear is that children will assume the television definition of relations and find the Basque sense of possession awkward. Mikel a 33 year old doctor who himself learned Basque as a second language as an adult is very aware of the mangled sense of possesion
"En forma de evidencia, nunca se decía etxea zurentzako, se decía zu etxerako. O sea, tú eres el que te quedas para mantener esta casa y seguir adelante con, con la tradición de la casa, de la familia, el trabajo de esa casa. O sea, tú eres el que tiene la responsabilidad, no es que la casa sea para tí... no de eso nada. Eso se ha perdido, eso es la cultura vasca. No bailar el fandango, eso lo aprende un andaluz, en cuanto llega aquí, en tres meses si le da la gana." (Mikel)
According to Mikel, foreign influences are eroding the Basque mindset and it is being lost even as the language is making a come back. Mikel's fear of Basque essence being lost can be applied to other values like having close relationships with grandparents, a great respect of nature, and putting a greater value on the advancement of a group than the individual. This last value will be revisited in length in future chapters as it is actively considered and taught in the classroom. This fear is strengthened as adult Basque speaking generations recognize a growing misuse of Basque grammar and individualistic trends among the younger generations.
A sense of betrayal is often expressed at the financial expense that the Basque government has undergone to subsidize yet another Spanish language television station. It is a far more poignant fact that the government has promoted the further symbolic isolation of the Basque language by dividing its resources, creating a single Basque language television station and adding yet another Spanish language station. There is a distrust of the government's explanation that it's intention was to provide freedom of choice in language for the population. The cynicism that accompanies this sense of betrayal was captured by Jaione, a 27 year old executive assistant in a law firm who in her younger years had belonged to Euskal Herrian Euskeraz-EHE (Basque in the Basque Country).
"Aquí lo que nos han vendido es que todo el mundo es libre, libre de elegir el idioma que quiere puesto que los dos son oficiales. EHE denunció el que ETB tuviera dos estaciones de televisión una en castellano y otra vasca y que en la vasca hubiera subtítulos... y es que en este país lo que sobran son las folkloradas, un buen ejemplo por ejemplo la revista de la universidad publica vasca... era en castellano todo y las únicas noticias, las noticias que salían en euskera todo era que si la danza de no sé qué que si las verduras del mercado de no sé donde y los baserritarras y era todo como si ay, como si estuviéramos en el siglo 19 todavía, como si ese idioma no valiese para otras cosas, como si solo valiese para decir que bonito idioma tenemos y que bonito país..." Jaione
According to Jaione, the criticism of television extends to all forms of media. There is little or no comfort in the Basque television since most programming that is done to address Basque concerns promotes the point of view that what is Basque is folkloric elements, sheepherding, dancing, handball, fishing and that the Basque language is tied to these quaint traditions. The government has missed the opportunity to make the Basque language of current relevance and to promote a cohesive picture of a Basque future in practical economic and political terms.
The overwhelming majority of Spanish language programming on television has an opposite reaction among those who see it as a reaffirmation of their notion of living within the boundaries of a State united by the Spanish language. Television is a welcome refuge from the increasing changes on the street where hostile anti-Spanish pintadas are common, bilingual signs are now the standard and Basque only signs are no longer a rarity. The idea of television as a refuge is reaffirmed by the high percentage of entertainment programming.
When seeking entertainment television viewers are less likely to limit themselves according to ideological distinctions. Being able to entertain a wide audience may be an attractive proposition for the television stations, but this audience does not seems to be secured but fluid. Television stations achieve the most regular viewership around news shows. News shows are watched by some, like Joxe Mari, the Grandmother and probably María Teresa, at either midday or the evening.