Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) President Alejandro Blanco discussed the impact that he expects the possible closing of RTVE's Teledeporte to have on "sports that receive less media exposure," according to Jesús Mínguez of AS. Blanco said, "TVE's contribution to Spanish sport is unquestionable. There are no words to express our appreciation, especially from the sports that would otherwise not have the capacity to be broadcast. The possible closing (of Teledeporte) is not good news. It would be very, very bad for the lower-profile sports." One possibility "would be Teledeporte merging with La 2." Asked whether La 2 "could carry all the sports," Blanco said, "It would be impossible to provide as many hours as Teledeporte. What we ask is that sport have the coverage it deserves, because TVE never stops as a public TV service and no one in this country doubts the importance of sport, for its success and as a uniting factor. If a decision has to be made, if it goes to La 2, hopefully sports receive as many hours as possible. The federations are willing to collaborate, to offer their products, and TVE should remain the great showcase it has always been" (AS, 8/4).