The professional council of Catalunya Ràdio charges against the news reform: "It is a serious error"

BarcelonaThis Wednesday, 3Cat launched its new information brand, 3CatInfo., which groups together the news services of public media outlets. As of today, the Catalunya Informació brand and 3/24 will disappear, becoming generically known as 3CatInfo. However, the reform has not been well received by Catalunya Ràdio employees, according to the station's professional council in a public letter. In the letter, they assert that, although the transformation process initially encouraged the staff, the excitement has turned into "concern and sadness." "Today marks the completion of the final stage, and the saddest, due to its symbolism: dissociating the news services from the Catalunya Ràdio brand," they state.

"The marketing department, at the request of the governing council, has imposed the name 3CatInfo, the offspring of a brand, 3Cat, which we already opposed when it was created two years ago. It's an unfamiliar, ugly name, lacking in charm or power, and it's not easy, nor does it foster debate or generate appreciation. It's explained and done almost in secret. What's more, we're still waiting to be called to new meetings—which we were promised—to answer the questions we asked," the board states.

They assert that the rebranding creates confusion when working, because the people journalists contact don't know whether they're being contacted by radio or television. "When we go to a press conference, the television images will show two identical microphones, raising doubts among viewers about the duplication of resources," they add. However, they assure that the station's news management will allow editors to "continue signing their reports as usual, a formula that makes us different and recognizable to the audience." Despite this concession, Catalunya Ràdio's professional council describes the new phase as "a serious mistake."

While news reports will continue to be signed with the Catalunya Ràdio brand on the station, this will not be the case on television. The TVC Workers' Candidacy, which is part of the company committee, expressed its anger today over the loss of the brand and a process that they claim has not been transparent. They point out that management has played with ambiguity and that no one explained to them that the renewal of the news programs would involve eliminating the 3/24 brand. "Management is destroying TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio," they assert in a statement.

"What's driving Rosa Romana to expose us with a new brand that the competition has been quick to threaten? Last week RTVE announced that 2Cat will begin broadcasting on October 13th. Together, ERC and PSC are on both boards (CCMA and RTVE). Do they want us to believe it?" from the TVC Workers' Candidacy.