El naixement de Catalunya RàdioGènesi, crisi i reorientació del primer projecte de ràdio de la Generalitat (1975-1985)

Abstract

Radio broadcasts in Catalan language are currently a success in audience and influence. But 40 years ago, when Franco's dictatorship was over in the late 1970s, the situation was entirely contrary: Catalan language was residual in Radio emissions. For this reason, numerous claims and initiatives were launched in order to increase its presence on the waves. There were social and professional debates to energize Catalan radio emissions, such as a signature campaign and initiatives to restore a successful radio called "Ràdio Associació de Catalunya" banned at the beginning of the dictatorship. When the Catalan Government was restored after the Franco era, the first elected president of the new government (1980) pushed forward the idea of launching a Public Radio and a Public Television to increase the use of Catalan and stimulate the Catalan National Identity. This was the origin of "TV3" (the Catalan Television) and "Catalunya Ràdio" (the Catalan Radio) borned during 1983 grounded in a new law, approved in the Catalan Parliament, creating a Catalan Public Corporation. That said, Catalunya Ràdio was initially launched in a precarious background, without a concrete business plan, lacking legal entity and proper studio facilities. The start of regular emissions was postponed by two months and the first director left the company complaining that the TV project -and not the radio- was the priority of the Corporation. In the end, Catalunya Ràdio began the regular emissions in late October 1983. The first programming grid was really innovative, blending music and talk radio. But the model proved to be challenging for the audience to follow, and less than a year after, the Corporation decided -during summer 1984- to change the model to a more commercial one. The second director of Catalunya Ràdio, who got sick for stress during the rush to launch the regular emissions, was fired and an anchorman of a successful Private Radio was hired to implement that model in the new Public Radio. Big talk radio magazines were created, and the News Department was also empowered to replicate the Private Commercial Radio -which then had a big success in Catalonia. The audience embraced the new orientation of the Catalan Public Radio and "Catalunya Ràdio" became leader. As said, the first year of life of "Catalunya Ràdio" was precarious and in a permanent crisis, with two directors who left the radio in a brief lapse of time.This was due to the absence of a realistic planification of the needs and resources of the new radio. Nevertheless, the legacy of the firsts directors, the teamwork environment they created or the design of the Headquarters of Catalunya Ràdio were an asset for the time being of the project. Certainly, without the efforts of the first team, the Catalan Public Radio wouldn't have got the success it enjoyed since 1985. This research aims to provide insights into explaining the social and media background in which "Catalunya Radio" was launched, the legal basis of the new radio, the model designed by the first staff, the crisis of this model and the reorientation of the project to create a successful Catalan Public Radio.