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, 26th February, brought together professionals from over 60 stations within the XAL network. CEO Núria de José confirmed that this new agreement will ensure the preservation of material, much of which has historically been produced in various formats and was previously at risk of destruction. Instead, the Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia will preserve these radio fragments, providing long-term conservation.

“This collaboration between each of the XAL stations and the UAB is crucial, as the university offers the methods to store all these files. It guarantees their preservation with a focus on research, and, above all, demonstrates that this is a discipline that finally deserves the attention it requires,” emphasised Núria de José.

Ricardo Carniel, Vice-Dean for Economics, Services, and UABmèdia at the Faculty of Communication Sciences (UAB), highlighted the origins of the project, which began as an initiative from the Communication Institute (UAB) and the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives of the Library Services (UAB), both linked to the Faculty of Communication Sciences. He thanked XAL for its support and stated, "This agreement is also vital so that future generations can access content that is of unquestionable importance and relevance."

Cinto Niqui, Director of the Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (UAB), presented the project's key features, thanking the XAL team in general, and Núria de José and Joan Catà in particular, for making the 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 cataloguing of sound fragments, which are available for open access on the website arxiuradio.uab.cat," stated Cinto Niqui.

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

The Radio Sound Archive of Catalonia (UAB) is a pioneering project in Catalonia. Launched in February 2023 with 2,500 records, it now houses over 11,000 records from Catalan and Spanish stations broadcasting on the radio frequencies in Catalonia, as well as Catalan radio stations that distribute their content online. The archive spans 98 years, covering the period 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.