RAC1 must not leave Catalunya Ràdio without advertising

Private radio in general, and RAC1 in particular, are engaged in a war with Catalunya Ràdio over advertising. The Catalan Audiovisual Council has sanctioned the public broadcaster because it exceeded the six-minute advertising limit per hour in certain time slots. It's true that a CAC instruction approved in 2011 establishes this limit. But this was approved in the midst of the crisis and determined that it would be reviewed after two years, which wasn't done. And in 2022, the State Audiovisual Communication Law was passed, which has a higher rank and doesn't mention any limitations, so if the CCMA files a lawsuit—as it plans to do—it has a good chance of getting out.

In an anomalous country like ours, leaving the second largest Catalan-language radio station without advertising would be a structural error. The language needs as many windows as possible, even for its ads. A Catalunya Ràdio without advertising, moreover, would initially be more competitive as well as more pleasant to listen to. For its part, RAC1—which at times borders on saturation—could raise prices, but it wouldn't necessarily attract many more customers. In the long term, the country would lose: either Catalunya Ràdio would have to pay more taxes, or its offering would be diminished. This entire struggle is taking place while the Godó Group station is suffering an unprecedented grievance that should be addressed. It is inconceivable that a radio station that gathers a million daily listeners still, a quarter of a century later, doesn't have the necessary repeaters to guarantee reception throughout the country, especially in Ponent but also in areas of Baix Empordà and Maresme. Gaining audiences by covering every corner of Catalonia: this is a way to strengthen the solidity of one of the most successful Catalan communication projects without doing so at anyone's expense.