Jordi Vendrell's only piece of advice, but what advice!

What a unique book, the one that has randomly fallen into my hands. Oleeé! I'm back here This volume pays tribute to Jordi Vendrell, now that 2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of his death. The bulk of the volume consists of the diary he kept during the preparation and launch of the program. The orchestra On Catalunya Ràdio, a sublime, mischievous, and successful talk show was canceled the day after criticizing Operation Garzón and the torture of Catalan separatists. Vendrell's notes are brief but sharp. "Politicians can't mix with politicians," he writes one day, when he realizes that the light and free-flowing nature of the talk show is being hijacked by the clash of staged narratives. In fact, he hates the idea of debate: he wants conversations among people who are having a good time and, incidentally, making others have a good time too. Of course, when Tísner and Pere Calders happen to appear in the same episode, as they do one day, it's very easy. Despite being a separatist. forward the letter, Vendrell makes sure his panelists represent the entire country, and he praises Salvador Pániker's brilliant phrase that "pluralism is the peaceful coexistence of intolerances." He listens to the program's tapes to self-critique, and although he often dwells on the things he would change—and argues frequently with management—he's pleased to say that he feels "undergoing a shower of wit." What a beautiful way to define what radio can be when it works.

The book also includes testimonials from friends, the transcript of the program that led to its cancellation, and various writings by him. It's here that I read the only advice he says he gives about the profession: "Smile into the microphone, write with your ear, record yourself and listen back." And he adds, wryly: "That's if you want to make radio. If you want to do news, change the world, or any other nonsense, no." What a genius, Vendrell.