In 2024, we commemorate the centenary of a fundamental milestone in the history of communications in Spain: the authorization of radio broadcasting. This technological advance not only transformed the way in which information was transmitted and consumed, but also played a crucial role in the social, cultural and political life of the country.
The first radio broadcasts in Spain began on May 12, 1924 from a small studio installed in the electronic valve manufacturing workshop of the company Ibérica de Telecomunicación, at number 18 Paseo del Rey, in the Madrid neighborhood of Príncipe Pío.
These daily broadcasts were carried out as a test while the licenses that would regulate this new means of communication were being negotiated.
The governmental authorization would arrive and on November 10, Radio España would be born, in Madrid, and Radio Barcelona, the germ of Cadena SER.
Radio arrived in Spain at a time when the country was going through important changes and allowed the broadcasting of news, entertainment and culture, entering the homes of Spaniards in a new way.
The first radio programs marked the beginning of an era in which the voice became the main vehicle of communication. Broadcasters became public figures, and entertainment, music, and educational programs began to form part of the daily lives of citizens who used the radio as a window to the outside world, and sometimes as the only way to learn about the reality of the world.
Radio became a tool for bringing people together and creating community.
Throughout these hundred years, radio has evolved, adapting to technological changes and the needs of society with the arrival of online broadcasts or podcats.
The stamp features an illustration representing an old tube radio along with a model of the first microphones that gave the world great voices, great news and unforgettable moments of entertainment.
