Resumen:
This paper aims at providing new insights about audiences¿ opinions concerning the role of advertising and its relation with the perceived quality of TV channels. It analyses Spanish audience's perception of quality of public service broadcasters TVE1 and La 2 before and after the advertising withdrawal in 2010. The goal is identifying if the advertising removal is perceived as an improvement of the quality of TVE. The first conclusion is that a vast majority of the viewers find the channels more attractive now without any advertising than before having it. In addition, gender and age are not significant variables in order to affect this opinion. But the audience educational level does impact their perception: those less educated have a significantly better opinion about the advertising withdrawal than others who are more educated. Both national public service channels (TVE1 and La 2) have improved significantly their quality perception when comparing 2008 and 2012 surveys. They are the only two channels within the Spanish market to obtain a better quality assessment. In fact, all channels tend to maintain or reduce their quality perception in the 2008¿2012 time period.