Radio Sound Archive in Catalonia (UAB) awarded by the Catalan Federation of Telecommunications Companies
The jury of the XXV Premis Connexió, organised by the Catalan Federation of Telecommunications Companies (FECEMINTE), has awarded the UAB’s Arxiu Sonor de Ràdio a Catalunya project in the category of Institutional Initiative. The award, presented on 19 May, acknowledges the creation of an innovative project with social impact that preserves and disseminates the radiophonic heritage of Catalonia through the cataloguing of audio fragments, openly available to users.
On 29 May the Radio Sound Archive in Catalonia (UAB) received an award at the XXV Premis Connexió, organised annually by FECEMINTE. The awards ceremony took place at the DMTforum 2026 event in Barcelona, at the Espai Can Tiana of the Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).
This project, with a clear commitment to public service, is jointly promoted by the Institute of Communication (InCom-UAB) and the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives of the UAB. It includes the collaboration of the Local Audiovisual Network and the Federation of Local Media of Catalonia, and is inspired by the UNESCO Memory of the World programme, aimed at safeguarding oral tradition and sound heritage.
"With the Radio Sound Archive in Catalonia we make an almost intangible heritage, the radiophonic voice, available to everyone. The radiophonic voice is a heritage in the shadows, often neglected, far from the level of care that the written word receives", highlights Tomàs Fabregat, head of the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives (UAB).
During his speech, he also expressed special thanks to the UAB Communication Institute (InCom-UAB) and to Cinto Niqui, "the soul of the initiative, for his dedication and perseverance", and to the team of the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives (UAB).
A unique and distinctive project
The Radio Sound Archive in Catalonia (UAB) is a unique and distinctive project in Catalonia. It was born in February 2023, with 2,500 recordings. Three years later it contains more than 15,000 recordings from Catalan and Spanish stations transmitting on the broadcasting bands of Catalonia, and from Catalan radio stations that distribute their content over the internet, between the years 1924 and 2026.
A significant part of the recordings comes from the Community Radio sector and municipal stations, which highlights the role of radio in social movements, education and local information. The collection also includes fragments from public and private radio stations, as well as international broadcasts in the Catalan language transmitted on shortwave.
This is the second recognition the project receives, after the Honourable Mention at the Ràdio Catalunya 2025 Awards.