The UAB and the XAL sign an agreement to add content to the Radio Sound Archive in Catalonia

The annual Infolocal Radio meeting, held in Granollers on Wednesday, February 26, brought together professionals from more than 60 stations of the XAL network. CEO Núria de José confirmed that this new agreement will allow the preservation of material that has historically been developed in various formats and was at risk of destruction. Instead, the Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia allows the preservation of radio fragments, offering long-term conservation.

“This collaboration from each of the XAL stations and the UAB is very important because the university provides us with the method to store all these files; you ensure their preservation with this function also aimed at research, and above all, you show us that it is a discipline that deserves the attention it finally needs,” emphasized Núria de José.

Ricardo Carniel, the vice-dean of Economics, Services, and UABmèdia at the Faculty of Communication Sciences (UAB), highlighted the origin of the project, which began as an initiative by the Communication Institute (UAB) and the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives of the Library Services (UAB), linked to the Faculty of Communication Sciences (UAB). He thanked XAL for its support and stated, "This agreement is also essential so that new generations can access content that has importance and relevance that no one questions."

Cinto Niqui, the director of the Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (UAB), presented the main features of the project, thanking the XAL team in general, and Núria de José and Joan Catà in particular, for making this agreement a reality. "The Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (UAB) is a collaborative project aimed at preserving and disseminating Catalonia's radio heritage through the cataloging of sound fragments, available for open access on the website arxiuradio.uab.cat," declared Cinto Niqui.

The Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia, a unique and singular project

The Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (UAB) is a unique and singular project in Catalonia. It was launched in February 2023 with 2,500 records, and two years later, it collects over 11,000 records from Catalan and Spanish stations on the radio broadcast bands in Catalonia, as well as Catalan radio stations that distribute their content via the internet. These records cover all types of stations over a period of 98 years, from 1924 to 2025.

“Our Archive is unique and singular simply because Catalan radio has been and is unique and singular. There is no country in the world that can say it has had 280 public radio stations on the FM dial and on the internet; there is no country in the world that can say it has had 120 stations recorded in Catalan schools, most of them public, made by teachers—many of whom are women—and also made by students from kindergarten, primary school, and high school,” stated Cinto Niqui.

For Marta Rial, manager of the collection at the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives (UAB), “This is a collaborative project that, two years after its presentation, continues to grow. The Archive ensures the preservation of Catalan radio heritage and makes available to the public materials of great cultural value with many possibilities in the fields of research and teaching.”

A significant portion of the recorded materials comes from the Third Sector radio and municipal stations, confirming the importance of radio within social movements, education, and local information. There are also short recordings from public and private stations and some fragments from international stations that have broadcast in Catalan on shortwave.

You can check the figures of the Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (ASRC-UAB) here.