Diego Carcedo, Former RTVE News Director, Dies at 86

Journalist Diego Carcedo has passed away in Madrid on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at the age of 86. His death was confirmed by sources from the Association of European Journalists (APE), an organization he previously led.

Born in Cangas de Onís, Asturias, on March 24, 1940, Carcedo was a central figure in Spanish public broadcasting. His career was deeply intertwined with RTVE, where he served in a variety of high-level capacities, including director of TVE News Services, managing director of International Relations at RTVE, and director of Radio Nacional de España (RNE) from 1991 to 1996.

Professional Trajectory and Early Career

Carcedo began his professional journey in print media. He was a graduate of the former Escuela Oficial de Madrid in Journalism and held a degree in History. His early work included a period at the Ovetense newspaper La Nueva España between 1965 and 1968, followed by roles as a reporter and correspondent for the Pyresa agency and the newspaper Arriba.

During this early phase, he acted as a special envoy to America, covering the football war between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969 and the Áncash earthquake in Peru in 1970.

In 1974, he joined Televisión Española (TVE), where he worked as a reporter and special envoy. Much of his work during this period was conducted through the program Los reporteros, which enabled him to travel to more than 100 countries.

International Reporting and Leadership

Carcedo became known for covering some of the most significant global events of the late 20th century. His reporting included the final days of the Vietnam War and the evacuation of Saigon in 1975, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, and the coup d’état against Chilean President Salvador Allende.

He also reported on the onset of the Central American conflict, various wars in the Middle East, and natural disasters, including earthquakes in Iran, Sicily, Peru, and Managua.

Beyond his work in the field, Carcedo held significant administrative and advisory roles. He was a member of the RTVE board of directors from 1996 to 2007. In 2018, he chaired the Committee of Experts responsible for proposing members for the RTVE board of directors and ran for the presidency of the Television Academy.

His leadership extended to professional associations, having served as president of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ/APE) between 2006 and 2010, and again as president since 2007.

Tributes and Legacy

Following the news of his death, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain issued a statement regarding the journalist, noting that Su mirada ayudó a entender la realidad incluso en los escenarios más complejos.

Carcedo was also a long-term collaborator with Atalayar. He is remembered as a benchmark of Spanish journalism and a historic figure within the public broadcasting system of Spain.