The only 100 % catalophone radio station in northern Catalonia is celebrating its 35th birthday this month and the Perpignan-based station is undergoing a complete makeover. Founding creator and director, Pere Manzanares, is handing the baton to journalist Albert Noguer, who will implement widespread changes in a bid to increase listener numbers

From its humble beginnings in an apartment of the Saint Jacques area back in 1981, the station has grown and transformed into the success it is today. Now covering 4 frequencies, programs are broadcast across the whole region, permeating the Catalan culture into the wider population and providing dedicated air time to the Catalan language.

Already firmly established in the local media scene, Radio Arrels has the support of key local institutions such as the Conseil départemental des Pyrénées-Orientales, the mairie de Perpignan and of course the Generalitat de Catalunya. Albert Noguer, however, is keen to branch out further and is now looking to engage a much wider demographic, declaring that “Northern Catalonia has changed, Radio Arrel must change with it”.

From technological renovations to new recruits, Noguer wants to reinvent the radio’s image to appeal to a modern listener. With a new website under construction and a phone app on the way, Radio Arrels will soon be available across a range of devices. Whilst remaining true to the station’s founding values of Catalan promotion, new-addition DJ Raph Dumas, will bring a fresh perspective and the latest sounds to the airwaves.