Hey guess what, a little fun fact about me is I am currently living in Barcelona! I was able to take a trip down to the public radio in Catalunya, called Catalunya Radio! All thanks to fellow employee of Catalunya Radio and my AMAZING and BEST journalism teacher I have ever had, Pipo Serrano!!! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Catalunya, it is the region of Spain that Barcelona is located in. It broadcasts exclusively to Catalan and is the major Catalan-language network today, so if you want to hear it first hand, you must come to Catalunya in Barcelona. The radio began broadcasting on June 20, 1983 and has expanded into four different stations. The radio station promotes the use and knowledge of the Catalan language and its culture. Catalans are very big on their culture. “One of Cartalunya Radio’s main objectives is to help consolidate and expand the use of the Catalan language, culture and identity, and disseminate knowledge of Catalan culture abroad, while reflecting the diversity of contemporary society.” This is a quote taken from the CCMA website, explaining the Catalunya Radio’s mission.
We were given a tour of the radio station and walked around and all the different departments, while we were explained all the different aspects of it. I have never been to a radio station before, so this was a new exciting experience for me. I was able to see an inside look on what goes on behind the voices that the people of Catalunya hear, which everyone loves to do. As for my observations and what I learned, the radio station was extremely busy. There were constantly people typing and running around, which seemed pretty standard for a broadcasting station. From what I see on T.V. at least. There are different floors inside the building for different purposes: weather, news, sports, etc. Catalunya Radio has all you need such as music, sports, talkshows, among other things, which are all broadcasted 24 hours a day! I think this differs from radio at home because normally stations are all separated. Each individual radio station works its own functions and produces their own shows as opposed to having one company own multiple different types of stations. I think this can be more and less benficial. It is easier to make contacts and find talent. However, I like the radio stations at home that combine all of those aspects into one big radio station. Furthermore, this radio station seemed to be very well-rounded and efficient, and almost anyone can find something of interest from this station. And hey, maybe even one day they will start talking about our favorite topic, shoes! Just an idea…
Goody Two-Shoes 