Javier Ruiz has stepped down as presenter of Mañaneros 360 on RTVE. His departure closes a chapter in which the La 1 morning show recorded its strongest figures in the time slot in nearly two decades, information from the audience data cited for the program. In his final broadcast, Ruiz urged viewers to stay vigilant and support quality journalism. He warned about misinformation and the blurring of lines between reporting and manipulation.
During his farewell, Ruiz spoke directly to viewers about the spread of disinformation and the danger of equating journalists with those who distort or conceal facts. He stressed that viewers can shape the media field through their choices at the ballot box and with the remote control. He urged them to reward serious journalism and reject content that undermines public trust.
The Mañaneros 360 team marked Ruiz's departure with a video tribute recalling his arrival in May 2025, which coincided with the historic election of a new pope in Rome. The segment revisited basic moments from his tenure, including an exclusive interview with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Ruiz is moving to La Séptima, a new Spanish digital terrestrial television (TDT) channel backed by media executive José Miguel Contreras, where he will be editorial director and presenter.
Under Ruiz's leadership, Mañaneros 360 moved away from entertainment and celebrity coverage and toward political analysis and current affairs. The editorial shift began with his appointment in May 2025. Figures cited for the 2025-2026 season put the program's audience share at nearly 16%, up from around 8%; its second segment averaged an 11.6% share. The figures were described as La 1's strongest performance in the slot since 2006-2007.
RTVE president José Pablo López publicly thanked Ruiz and the Mañaneros 360 team for their work and ability to recover, pointing to the show's audience gains and wishing Ruiz success in his new projects. La Séptima is scheduled to begin HD broadcasts on TDT before 08:00 on 5 November 2026. Its announced generalist schedule pairs live information with analysis, alongside opinion programming and some entertainment. Verónica Sanz is due to present the morning program El pulso, while Sarah Santaolalla will host the afternoon show En línea con Sarah. Ruiz is set to present the weekday current-affairs program La última hora at 21:00. Daniel Fernández, formerly director of Mañaneros 360, is expected to become the new channel's content director.
Ruiz's role shifted from a planned morning slot to prime time, joining an executive editorial position with a prominent presenting job. He has described the project as responding to demand for a particular perspective: “a viewpoint that I call progressive, and sometimes it is simply common sense.” The channel's launch message also pledged: “We will not play games with things that may bring in viewers but are shameful.” Ruiz has acknowledged the uncertainty of entering a crowded television market: “I hope to do better than 0.1%, but I wouldn't dare make a prediction.” Contreras cited laSexta's 0.1% share on its first day as a historical comparison, not a forecast of La Séptima's eventual audience.
The program's evolution reflects a broader challenge for Spanish television: competing for viewers as digital platforms grow and political polarization deepens, with false narratives spreading. The shift also echoes challenges to public trust at other institutions, including the closure of Barcelona's La Camarga restaurant after a high-profile espionage case. This report details the fallout from La Camarga's closure.
Mañaneros 360 began in September 2023 as an entertainment magazine hosted by Jaime Cantizano. Adela González took over in summer 2024, before Ruiz's arrival brought a decisive editorial shift. Figures cited for his tenure show the audience share rising from around 8% to nearly 16%.
