An unusual scene opened Wednesday night's broadcast of Bendita, the historic archive program hosted by Beto Casella on the El Nueve screen.
The camera panned across a completely empty studio, with no host or panelists, while recorded insults could be heard and the usual music from The Blues Brothers played. Only the decorative dolls on the desk stoically endured in front of the wide shot.
"Everyone got sick today!", the on-screen chyron joked as the only explanation. However, as the hours passed, the real reason behind the massive absence became known: an internal conflict related to parking.
According to a source from the channel who spoke to Ciudad, both Beto and the panel members decided not to attend in protest of the company's refusal to allow them to use the building's parking spaces.
The decision was reportedly made after several incidents in which the panelists were forced to leave their cars on the street, exposing themselves to theft or damage. Among those most affected are Rocío Marengo —who is currently pregnant— and Rodrigo Vagoneta.
El Nueve explained that currently the parking spaces are assigned to a construction company working on a neighboring building, which will serve as the channel's new headquarters in the future. Nevertheless, the show's production claims that many parking spaces remain empty at night and could be used without any issues.
"The situation hasn't improved compared to yesterday. Today there will only be reports," sources from within the show detailed. "The conflict happened in the afternoon. It's about the parking spaces. Beto doesn't like it and it hasn't been solved," they added, hinting that the tension has been building for some time.
Meanwhile, journalist Leo Arias revealed on his social media that eltrece has renewed its efforts to entice Beto Casella with a possible move of Bendita to the channel in the Constitución neighborhood. "There are plenty of parking spaces," he hinted, fueling rumors of a possible channel change if the conflict isn't solved soon. For now, Bendita remains on air, although without its full team on camera.
